Assassin's Hope
by BakaInuGirl
Summary: A prophecy made centuries ago leads to the slaughter of innocent mikos by youkai assassins. But what happens when a certain hanyou is unable to slay a miko with dormant powers, and finds himself falling in love with her instead.
1. Chapter 1

Assassin's Hope

A/N: I'm experimenting. Don't know how this is gonna play out so let me know if you guys like the plot so far. An assassin half-demon, a young miko. Who knows where this could go! Anywho... here's the first chapter to Assassin's Hope.

**Chapter 1**

The stench of death hung in the air, surrounding a dark figure crouched in the middle of an equally dark room. Standing to his full height the assassin sheathed his katana surveying the damage dealt that night.

Blood was splayed across the walls and was running across the floor from the wounds of a young woman. The assassin stepped away from his work avoiding the path of the crimson fluid and headed for the door.

Stepping into the moonlight outside, the assassin turned back for one last look at his slain victim. Golden eyes glowed in the darkness allowing him the perfect view of his perfect crime. He smirked, revealing a sharp fang, and leapt off into the distant night, becoming only a streak of silver and scarlet across the city skyline, leaving a blood stained shrine in his wake.

He landed a short while later at a large manor and entered the main room.

"You have returned, Inuyasha," a voice said from across the room. "You have been successful then, I gather."

"Keh, of course I have," the assassin grumbled. "Bitch had no chance."

"She was a miko, Inuyasha. If you had not slain her whilst she sleep I doubt you would have stood a chance, being a weak hanyou," the voice mocked.

The assassin readied his claws in retaliation, "Bastard, I'll show you who stands a chance!" He lunged in the direction of the voice ready to strike.

A hand flew out and grabbed the half-demon by the neck, "Insolent whelp! You think you can really hurt this Sesshoumaru? Learn your place!"

Inuyasha was flung across the room as the owner of the voice emerged, revealing an older inu-youkai, with features startlingly similar to the assassin: long silver hair reaching well past his waist, golden eyes shining brightly even in darkness, and lethal claws.

The younger demon picked himself up and scowled at the daiyoukai, "My place should be the farthest from you, brother."

"_Half_ brother whelp, you will be wise to remember this," Sesshoumaru replied before turning around. "Besides our father has bound my honor to you. After his demise I was to keep you alive. So you see half-breed, your place is in my custody."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Inuyasha ground out. "So any other leads?"

"No," Sesshoumaru responded. "There are several shrines around the city that need to be checked out, but most have bumbling fools pretending to be priests running them."

"Feh, I don't understand why we have to keep doing this. There hasn't been a strong enough priestess to harm youkai in centuries," Inuyasha protested.

"Inuyasha," the older youkai warned, "I needn't remind you of the prophecy. We will find the miko before she is given the chance to destroy all youkai forever."

"You're telling me that the _great_ Sesshoumaru is scared of some silly girl!" Inuyasha taunted.

"Your attitude will be your downfall, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru reprimanded. "Now go and bathe that ningen stench from yourself, you make this Sesshoumaru ill."

"Too good to draw the blood of the weak as always Sesshoumaru. But quick to send a worthless half-breed to finish the job," Inuyasha scoffed on his way to the bathhouse.

Ten minutes later found Inuyasha submerged in a hot bath, the water relaxing away the ache in his muscles caused by his exertions earlier that evening. _Prophecy. Keh, what a fucking joke. Like a worthless human could ever bring down races of youkai. _

He raised his claws closer to his face, "Hypocrite. Slaughtering innocent human girls for your own life. What would mother think?" _Mother_.

"Fuck this," the hanyou said aloud getting out of the bath. He dressed quickly and left the manor knowing his conscience would not allow sleep to come that night.

Inuyasha roamed the city without bothering to conceal his true form. It was late enough and only bakas would be out walking the city, he knew that. Anyone who ran into him would think him a freak anyway and run in the other direction. He didn't blame them. After all, anyone who saw a supposed man with long silver hair, dog-ears, sporting a katana with a feudal haori, kimono, and hakama _should _run away. Screaming. In fear!

"Hey there, puppy," a woman catcalled from the shadows causing Inuyasha to look up in surprise. "You look like you need a friend tonight."

Inuyasha finally caught sight of the woman. She wore an impossibly short skirt on the verge of public indecency and a top that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her face was made up with so much makeup; Inuyasha doubted she looked even remotely the same with it off.

"Keh, I don't take whores to my bed," he stated gruffly.

The woman bristled and searched for any kind of insult. Looking at his appearance she replied, venom dripping from her words, "You'll never take a lady either looking like that, freak."

Inuyasha would have normally reacted, slaughtering the whore before she drew her next breath, but he had drawn enough blood that night. He let out a sadistic laugh instead, smirking her way and revealing one fang. The prostitute took one look at his face and knew he would not be one to feel the loss of one little street whore.

Inuyasha saw the fear reflected in her eyes, lowered his head and grunted out one word, "Run."

The woman needed no other encouragement and took off down the street, stumbling over torn up asphalt, praying to Kami that her life would be spared and vowing inwardly to change her profession.

Inuyasha continued his moping through the city and found himself nearing another shrine, one different from his earlier tirade. An old man stumbled passed him on the sidewalk reeking of cheap sake and mumbling to himself.

_The really do let the freaks roam the city at night,_ Inuyasha thought to himself.

Shaking his head he ignored the old man's grumbling even when he changed it's subject to him.

"Demons everywhere in this city. No one is safe!" the old man cried before moving to cross the street.

"Grandpa! Grandpa where have you gone?!" a young female voice called from the top of the shrine steps not too far from where Inuyasha stood. Inuyasha looked up to see a girl, no more than fifteen-years-old, descending the steps rapidly looking each way frantically. Her ebony hair flew wildly behind her as she ran and the slight bounce to her breasts underneath her pajamas did not go unnoticed by the half-demon. Her ivory skin was flushed from her panic and her stormy blue eyes looked worried.

_The old man is her grandfather,_ Inuyasha knew.

The girl reached the bottom of the shrine steps when her slipper caught a loose stone and she stiffened and closed her eyes preparing for her crash onto the sidewalk. Instead, two strong arms had encircled her, catching her before the impact. She opened her eyes only to meet the golden gaze of what seemed to her as a young man.

_He's so handsome,_ the girl thought. "Thank you, I thought I was a goner back there."

"Don't worry, I've got you," Inuyasha smirked down at her, his voice unusually soft. _Where the hell did that come from?_

The girl blushed prettily, at least Inuyasha thought so, before realizing he was still holding her. "My grandpa," she said slowly. "I was looking for my grandpa."

Inuyasha helped her to stand, finding that his own face burned with embarrassment from the close contact with the girl. "Short man, bald, mustache, smells like sake?"

"You've seen him?!" the girl exclaimed.

Inuyasha nodded, pointing behind him, "I just passed him, he was mumbling something to himself." The girl gasped when she looked behind him and when he turned around he saw the old man in the middle of the street, a car speeding towards him.

"GRANDPA!!" the girl screamed loud enough for Inuyasha to wince.

Without thinking twice about it he found himself jumping into the middle of the street, grabbing the old man, and leaping back to the steps where he left the girl, mere seconds before the car sped through the street. Inuyasha sat the man down on the shrine steps and stood up right as the girl flung herself at him.

"Thank you, thank you," she said burying her face into his haori. Inuyasha could smell the tears emanating from the young girl and felt the need to wrap his arms around her.

Before he could embrace her the old man shouted, "Get away from him grandchild! He's a demon!"

The young girl detached herself from him and took a few steps back. Her eyes were still bright with tears, but she showed no fear of him despite her grandfather's accusations. Inuyasha crossed her arms into the sleeves of his haori and looked away from her with a scowl.

The young girl gasped when she finally noticed the silver triangular ears atop his head instead of where a human's would be and noticed the one fang that poked over his bottom lip.

"Grandpa, go back inside," the girl said calmly. "I'll be up in a moment."

The old man began to protest but saw his granddaughter's hard look and turned to hobble back up the stairs.

"A demon?" she questioned.

"Keh, what of it?" Inuyasha snarled out, rolling his shoulders and closing his eyes, his face still turned away from her stare.

He could hear her moving closer to him, but didn't realize how close until he felt her lips against his cheek in a small kiss. He turned his face back to her in a look of complete shock and saw her smiling up at him.

"An angel," she said blushing again, before she turned and ran up the steps.

"Feh," he said, the scowl returning to his face. He turned to walk back to the manor, but not before stopping and breathing in the scent that lingered in the air. It was a light scent of sakura blossoms and...

..._and white. She smells... white? Pure. She smells pure, _Inuyasha thought.

Inuyasha shook his head of any other thoughts of the girl and headed towards the manor. He still knew sleep would never come that night, but he'd rather spend the night alone than out saving old drunken men, and receiving kisses from beautiful young maidens.

_Beautiful? What the fuck? She was plain if anything!_

'_She was beautiful because she was pure,'_ Inuyasha's brain reprimanded. _'Something you will never be, half-breed.'_

Inuyasha growled at his thoughts and knew they were right on both accounts. She was beautiful, not just because of her purity. She glowed with this inner light, and she didn't shudder at his touch. _She thought I was an angel._ But he knew he was just a half-demon, an abomination to both humans and demons, someone that would never be accepted by either race.

'_She accepted you. She kissed you,'_ his inner thoughts reminded. That's when Inuyasha realized his hand was on his cheek where she had placed the small kiss. How long had he been walking like that? He growled and lowered his hand. He leapt off towards the manor, quick to escape the recent events and hoping to never see that human girl again.

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The young girl sighed as she returned to her bedroom. She had put her grandfather to bed, still complaining about demon's taking over the city. She approached her window and opened it, letting in the night air, and let her thoughts wonder to the young demon she had met just moments ago.

_Why did I kiss him?_ She asked herself.

"Because he saved Grandpa selflessly," she said aloud to the stars. _And because he was handsome,_ her mind berated. She blushed.

"He _was_ rather handsome wasn't he?" she sighed to no one.

I'll never see him again, and I was just thanking him, that's all. So why is my heart pounding so hard?

"He's a dangerous demon, isn't he?" she asked the night sky. _He didn't seem so dangerous when you were lying in his arms. He seemed quite taken with you, actually. _

The young girl laughed sadly, "Get a grip, Kagome! He wouldn't be interested in a silly human girl!"

She sighed and headed towards her bed, getting under the covers, and hoped that she would see that demon, her angel, again.

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So? What do you think? I like it so far! Even though I've only written a short chapter, I think it has potential! Let me know what you think! BakaInuGirl


	2. Chapter 2

Assassin's Hope

A/N: Wow! I've gotten some great responses from reviewers about the first chapter! I'm so encouraged to go on! So without further adieu Chapter 2!

**Chapter 2**

Inuyasha watched the first rays of sunlight creep over the horizon. Brilliant hues of reds and oranges rising, and the fleeting blues and violets of the night all served as a reminder of the young human girl he had met a short while ago. The warm sunbeams felt similar to the warmth of her kiss on his cheek and Inuyasha closed his eyes remembering the fleeting moments with the girl.

He snapped his eyes open, "Feh, people'll think I've gone soft for some human wench if I keep thinking like that!"

"Human?" a cold voice asked from behind him.

He turned to see Sesshoumaru staring at him with a stoic expression, "What the fuck are you doing in my quarters?"

"Patience little halfling. I came to give you another name. My minions search has proven useful and they have found an untrained miko," the older inu-youkai answered.

"Untrained miko? Then what's the use of spilling her blood, if she has powers she doesn't even know how to use?" Inuyasha blurted out, unknowingly admitting he'd rather not slay another innocent.

"Because half-breed we took an oath as youkai, or in your instance hanyou, to put down any possibilities of the prophecy to come to pass," Sesshoumaru explained, clearly losing his patience with his younger brother quickly.

"Keh, whatever. The name?" Inuyasha asked with a glare.

"Higurashi Kagome. Higurashi shrine. She's not even a woman yet," Sesshoumaru said turning his back to walk away. "You will kill her by dawn tomorrow, Inuyasha. It would be wise not to cross this Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha growled at his brother's back as he disappeared back into the manor. As he turned back to look out the window his shoulders slumped. _How many more will there be before I can have my freedom?_ _Higurashi Kagome? You die tonight!_

He leapt out the window and ran into the forest hoping to clear his mind of all regrets before setting out for his mission that night.

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Kagome had been lying awake in her bed before dawn. Something had startled her from her peaceful sleep. Someone had called out to her. _Someone? _

Yeah, okay Kagome. Like someone would visit you in the middle of the night. This is the real world not some fairy tale!

But she couldn't shake that feeling that someone had called out her name. It was almost foreboding, as if something awful were about to happen. She stood quickly and walked over to her window looking down into the courtyard of the shrine. It seemed as though she should have seen someone standing there, someone with silver hair and deep golden eyes.

Her focus shifted to the giant tree on the shrine grounds. The Goshinboku had been on the property for generations, how many Kagome knew not. For some reason the tree offered her a sense of peace and just looking at it's high boughs calmed her.

She sighed before turning away from the window.

"A nice hot bath should help get rid of this feeling," she said smiling slightly and heading for the bathroom.

After her bath she dressed slowly into her school uniform, almost dreading another boring day at school. She found herself longing for another moment like she had last night with that demon. Shaking her head and laughing at her girlish ideas she headed downstairs to find some breakfast.

She walked into the kitchen to find two balloons floating above her chair at the table and her mother humming happily over the stove.

"Mama?" Kagome asked.

"Oh! Happy Birthday, Kagome! I made your favorite breakfast so please sit down and don't worry about getting anything this morning," her mother beamed happily. "Souta! Grandpa! Breakfast is getting cold!"

A nine-year-old boy bounded down the steps and into the kitchen, "Morning Mama, morning Kagome. Happy Birthday!" he said with a bright smile.

"Thanks Souta," Kagome answered smiling. How could she have forgotten it was her fifteenth birthday today? Her thoughts had been wandering everywhere this morning except to the subject she had been counting down to for the past month. Her mother set her breakfast down in front of her while her thoughts began wandering again.

Her grandpa came into the kitchen last, breathing heavily as if he just woke up. "Happy Birthday, Kagome. You know I had the strangest dream last night about you meeting a young demon."

Kagome froze, chopsticks en route to her lips before forcing a tiny giggle, "Oh Grandpa! What an imagination you have. Your dream must have been quite vivid!"

"Indeed! I also dreamt you kissed him for some reason," he said scratching the back of his head in thought.

"Oh Grandpa! You're probably just worried that Kagome will have so many suitors now that she's a young woman!" her mother chimed in serving the rest of them breakfast. Kagome sighed, silently thanking whatever gods gave her such a wonderful mother.

"Speaking of you becoming a young woman, Kagome," her grandfather started. "Because it's your fifteenth birthday I can begin training you to be the next shrine priestess."

Kagome nearly choked on her egg, "Priestess? Me? Oh, I don't think so, Grandpa. I mean I can barely keep my room clean, let alone a whole shrine."

"Nonsense! You will begin your training today after school," he said shaking his head.

"School!" Kagome exclaimed jumping up from her seat. "I've been enjoying breakfast so much, I'll probably be late! Thank you Mama for a wonderful breakfast! Have a great day at school Souta! And Grandpa we'll talk about this priestess thing when I get home!"

With that she dashed her way out of the house and practically ran the entire way to school. She got onto the school grounds and waved to her friends when she heard someone approaching her from behind. Her heart skipped a beat and as she placed a hand over her fluttering heart she prayed to Kami that it was the young demon she had met last night.

"Happy Birthday, Higurashi!" a young male voice called from behind her. She turned around disappointment showing on her face when she realized it was a schoolmate of hers.

"Thank you, Houjou," she said kindly, smiling up at the tall boy with brown fluffy hair and brown eyes. He held out a small package for her. She took it graciously and opened it to reveal a set of combs for her hair, delicately carved from ivory and decorated with mother-of-pearl. She took one carefully into her hand and held it up, letting the sun hit the opalescent decorations and turning a soft golden color, reminding Kagome of her demon's eyes. "Oh, Houjou, they're beautiful! But I can't accept them, you must have spent a fortune on them!"

"Please, Kagome. I bought them just for you. They'll look amazing in your hair," the young boy smiled, blushing slightly.

"Okay, thank you, Houjou. So very much!" she said, leaning up on tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the cheek in a thank-you.

The young man blushed an even deeper shade of red and reached up to rub the back of his neck, "Well, Higurashi, I guess I'll see you inside! Happy Birthday, again!" He sprinted off into the school building just as a swarm of girls descended on Kagome.

"Kagome! We saw you kiss, Houjou! Are you two going out?" one girl asked.

"Yeah, it's not like you go around kissing every guy you see!" another said. _How wrong you are!_ Kagome thought.

"What did Houjou get you for your birthday?" a third girl giggled. Kagome held up his gift to show them, which they all ooh-ed and ah-ed. The warning bell rang to signal students to get to their morning classes and Kagome headed towards the school, leaving the three girls dumbfounded and questions completely unanswered.

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By midday, Inuyasha had accomplished absolutely nothing by sitting in a tree in the forest all morning. He was, after all, an assassin, whose only job was to kill off mikos threatening to bring the youkai races to an end, and had no real reason to accomplish anything else; this left Inuyasha to occupy his time with other things. Usually, in his spare time, one would find him in the dojo in the manor honing his assassination skills to their finest. But today Inuyasha wanted for himself: to be left alone with his thoughts.

Thoughts that annoyingly kept returning to the mysterious young girl he met the night before. _I don't even know her name!_ He growled at the thought of _needing_ to know her name at all. She was starting to become a pain in the ass. _A warm, pleasant smelling, beautiful pain in the ass._

"Kuso! If I don't get my head in the right place by nightfall I'll never be able to take care of this Higurashi Kagome," he growled. He took off in the direction of the manor thinking that perhaps the dojo would be a good idea after all, if only to keep his mind off the young maiden from the shrine.

Once inside the dojo he unsheathed his katana and began practicing his movements. He moved in a graceful dance, moving about the mat silently. Regardless of what Sesshoumaru thought about his abilities matched with a miko's, Inuyasha was a formidable force, a silent enemy that killed before his victims knew he was in the room.

He finished his routine and sheathed his katana just as a voice rang out in the dojo, "Lord Inuyasha! Your skills have improved greatly since last I saw you!" To the naked eye it appeared no one was in the dojo with the hanyou, however on closer inspection, you could see a tiny flea jumping on the shoulder of his red haori.

"Well, well. If it isn't Myouga the flea, back from the dead!" Inuyasha welcomed the tiny demon with a glare.

"Lord Inuyasha, I have only been away to see if rumors of a powerful miko to the north were true," the tiny demon said bowing to his master.

"And? Are these rumors true?" he asked picking the flea up between his fingers.

"I... I... well you see Lord Inuyasha," he stammered.

"You weren't checking out rumors at all were you? You were out sucking the blood of young maidens, weren't you? No need to lie, I can smell them on you!" Inuyasha said while squishing Myouga in between his thumb and index finger. "Now get out so I can finish my work out."

"Will you be using advanced strikes with Tetsusaiga?" Myouga asked from his place on the floor.

"What are you talking about, Myouga?" Inuyasha muttered kneeling down in front of him. "Tetsusaiga is a simple katana left to me by my father. It has no advanced strikes."

"Perhaps, Lord Inuyasha you have not found a reason for using your sword to it's full potential," Myouga said. Upon seeing Inuyasha very close to squishing him, he began to stutter, "That is my Lord, that you have excellent skills even without the sword!"

Inuyasha backed off, "Speaking of which I should practice those as well."

"Not in the dojo, surely my Lord! You would damage it beyond repair!" Myouga exclaimed.

"You're right flea. I'll go into the forest to sharpen my claws," Inuyasha smirked before heading back into the woods.

_Advanced strikes? Not found a reason? That flea better be telling me the truth, _Inuyasha thought.

"Sankon Tetsusou!" he yelled in a battle cry cutting down a few trees with his claws. Inuyasha continued to train in the forest, mentally planning his attack on the young miko that night.

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Kagome sat in the middle of her geometry class willing the clock to go faster. There were only a few minutes left of school that day and she wished nothing more than to be outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. She found herself staring out the window for the remainder of class.

"Psst! Kagome! WacDnld's after school?" her friend Yuka whispered to her.

She turned around and nodded to her friend, giving her a small smile. _They're probably going to hound me about Houjou, _she mentally groaned.

Cheers rung out throughout the classroom as the dismissal bell rang. Yuka grabbed Kagome's arm and nearly dragged her out of the classroom.

"Come on, Kagome. We're going to celebrate your birthday!" her friend cheered with a great big grin.

"Uh, okay. Who exactly is going to WacDnld's?" Kagome asked, thinking her friends had done the absolute worst and invited Houjou.

"Just Eri, Ayume, you, and me of course!" her friend grinned.

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that this isn't going to be the usual visit to a fast food place?

But Kagome was wrong. She and Yuka met up with Eri and Ayume outside the school and they chatted while walking to their favorite fast food hang out. They all ordered their food and had a normal conversation ranging from boys, including Houjou of course, the latest movies, and the newest clothes stores that opened up in the fashion district.

Other than that there were no surprises, which Kagome found a relief.

"So, Kagome, it is your birthday and all, so here!" Yuka said with a great big smile handing her a package.

"Oh, Yuka you didn't have to!" Kagome said, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"We all chipped in, Kagome," Eri chimed in, Ayume nodding enthusiastically.

Kagome unwrapped the package to find a beautiful blue sundress, the fabric a shimmery material that reflected different colors when caught in the sunlight, a small makeup kit that complimented the color of the dress, and a bottle of perfume.

"Oh! You girls are wonderful! Thank you so much! I can't even imagine how much you spent on all of this!" she gasped fingering each gift slowly.

"Hey, it's your birthday, Kagome! Come on! Let's go to my house and we'll get you all dolled up. You may just be having a small family dinner tonight but you'll feel good if you look your best!" Yuka suggested.

"Well... okay," Kagome answered with a smile. She liked the idea of being able to dress up on her birthday, and the girls seemed willing to help, so she went along.

At Yuka's house they changed Kagome, applied her makeup without overdoing it, and spritzed some of the new perfume on.

"Oh! Kagome! What about those hair combs Houjou got you! They would go with the dress perfectly and we'd be able to do your hair up beautifully!" Yuka practically squealed.

"Guys, I'm going to a family dinner, not the prom!" she protested.

"Might as well look your best! You only turn fifteen once!" Ayume said behind her, as she was pulling her hair back.

"Hey! Why don't we all get dressed up, for the fun of it! Then we'll walk you home, Kagome, alright?" Yuka suggested.

"Sure, Yuka. I do feel a little silly being all dressed up and you all being in your uniforms still," Kagome replied.

Yuka ran over to her closet and began pulling out dresses for the other girls. Before long they all were dressed beautifully. They finished Kagome's hair and finally let her look in the mirror. Her reflection took her breath away. She thought she looked absolutely beautiful. The dress brought out the stormy blue color of her eyes, sleeveless empire cut sweeping just below the rise of her bosom, flowing out to land just above her knees. Yuka had lent her sandals to go with the dress. Her face was done up modestly but enhanced her natural beauty, and her hair looked absolutely gorgeous in a wild upsweep, Houjou's combs nestled in her ebony waves.

"I look..." she began.

"Absolutely breathtaking," Ayume said quietly behind her.

"I can't thank you all enough for doing this. My family won't recognize me," she continued to stare at her reflection, missing the knowing glances the other three shared.

"Well, c'mon Kagome. Let's get you home," Yuka piped up. The four young women set off for the shrine in the fading daylight hours.

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Inuyasha had begun to get restless just as the sun was setting behind the mountains. He stood in his quarters, having bored himself with training. _Why can't I just kill this bitch and be done with it. Why always under the cover of night?_

"Because there are more witnesses in the day," he answered himself aloud.

His idle thoughts immediately turned to the young woman he had held in his arms briefly the night before. _I could go and see her_, he thought.

"What the fuck?" he asked himself aloud. _Go and see her? Like you're some love-struck puppy. Get a grip!_

But even as he mentally berated himself for his thoughts he was leaping out of his window and heading in the direction he had gone last night.

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

"I still can't thank you all enough. For the dress, everything!" Kagome said excitedly. "Wait til Mama sees me!"

"Wait till Houjou sees her," Eri whispered to Ayume as Yuka was chatting up Kagome.

They had reached the Higurashi household on the shrine grounds when Kagome paused, "That's funny. None of the lights are on in the house."

"Maybe your family went out to get some last minute things for your dinner?" Ayume suggested, trying to contain a giggle.

"Ayume's right," Yuka said after shooting said girl a glare, "but we'll wait with you until they get back if you want."

"Alright," Kagome said happily.

"Why don't we wait around back in the garden? It's such a nice day out and we can watch the sun set," Yuka offered.

Kagome nodded and they headed around to the garden in the backyard. She hadn't taken two steps around the house when a great shout of "Surprise!!" shocked her into complete silence.

"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" her mother shouted, coming towards her daughter who looked like a deer in headlights. "Your friends planned a surprise party for you and when they suggested we have it in the garden I couldn't say no. It's not everyday my only daughter turns fifteen!"

Kagome could only stifle out small noises from the back of her throat while her mother steered her towards the group of schoolmates gathered in the garden.

"By the way, Kagome, you look absolutely beautiful," her mother said, before sending her towards her friends.

"Thanks Mama," she said when she finally found her voice.

"Higurashi! Uh, I mean, Kagome, you look... I mean... I don't... wow," Houjou stuttered out when he caught sight of her.

"Thank you, Houjou. Oh! And look!" she said doing a little twirl so he could catch sight of the combs. "They went perfectly with the dress the girls got me."

"They would look beautiful on you no matter what," he replied blushing slightly.

She giggled before moving towards another group of friends to say hello to, leaving Houjou completely love-struck in her wake.

----- ------ ------ ------ ------- ------- -------

Inuyasha found the shrine from his earlier encounter quite easily. Despite the mixture of horrendous smells the city gave off, car exhaust, oil, and the odor of too many people crowded into one place, he was able to sniff out the pure scent of the human girl.

He leapt into the trees when he neared the shrine bypassing the steps he was near the night before, thus bypassing the nameplate near the shrine's entrance. He followed the girl's scent to a small garden behind what he assumed to be her house.

Inuyasha saw that they were having a party of sorts. He remained hidden in the tall branches of the trees around the property as to not scare the stupid humans with his appearance.

He quickly surveyed the group of people, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of the young woman. He sensed her before he saw her. Glowing like a bright candle in a foggy night, she radiated warmth and kindness. He finally saw her then and his breath hitched in his throat. She was a portrait of absolute loveliness, by far the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Her wild hair had been pulled away from her face and neck, giving Inuyasha a perfect view of the juncture between her throat and her shoulder where her pulse beat strong and true. The dress she wore almost surpassed the beauty of her stormy blue eyes and Inuyasha wished desperately for a gust of wind to give him an even better view of her long, cream-colored legs.

He noticed it must have been her birthday for the other humans were giving her gifts and hugs. Music began to filter out of the house and many of the humans began to dance, but Inuyasha noticed the girl stepped to the side of the makeshift dance floor, not dancing.

_I would ask her to dance,_ he thought. _What? You baka! You don't even know _how _to dance! Let alone dance with a pretty girl!_

He saw a young human male walking towards her, talk briefly and extend his hand. She took it smiling, a smile Inuyasha wanted to be on the receiving end of, and they moved to the dance floor. He growled as the young male placed his hands on the girl's waist, but stopped when he saw her reciprocate the action by placing her hands on his shoulders.

_You idiot! The bitch looks pretty damn comfortable in the arms of another man, _his mind reprimanded.

_Man? He's nothing but a ningen boy! I could kill him easily and then the bitch could be mine!_ He yelled to his conscience.

Oh that would be just perfect. Kill the boy she obviously likes. And what's this about her being yours?

"Shut up!" he muttered aloud. _Fuck this! I'm leaving to hunt down this Higurashi bitch!_ He jumped down from his tree top view of the party, landing close enough to the party to hear the human girl giggle but far enough that no one would really notice him, and started walking away from the party around to the front of the house.

------ ------ ------- ------- ------

Kagome had been giggling politely at something Houjou had told her when she noticed something red and silver from the corner of her eye. For a brief moment she thought she caught sight of her demon and she pulled away from Houjou with a start.

"Kagome? You ok?" the boy asked, but saw that she was not listening.

She stared at the place she had just seen the figure, a place where two of her schoolmates now stood. _Move!_ She mentally ordered them.

As if they heard her they broke apart, moving in opposite directions, and Kagome could now see no sign of her savior from last night. She frantically looked around the party and could have sworn she saw someone walk around her house.

"Wait!" she called taking off in a sprint towards the front of her house. "Wait! I wanted to see you..." she trailed off as she rounded the front of the house to find absolutely no one there, "again," she finished.

Inuyasha had leapt up onto the roof of the house as he saw her trying to follow him. He heard her call out to him from down below. _She wanted to see me, again?_

"Will I ever see you again, my angel?" she asked tilting her head up to the sky in hopes that he would be there.

_I ain't no angel, bitch, _he thought with a snicker.

"Oh, there you are," Houjou's voice came from behind her. "When you ran off I thought something was wrong. Are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, Houjou. I'm fine. I thought I saw someone special," she said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

_Someone special?_ Inuyasha thought.

"Okay, well. Let's get you back to the party then, huh?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, okay," she answered.

Inuyasha sat back on the roof and listened to the rest of the party as the night sky darkened over the city. He could slay the bitch miko later, for now he wanted to enjoy the sound of this human girl laughing, singing, and being happily alive.

------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------- ------ ------

The party lasted well into the night. Kagome danced and sang with her friends, opened her presents and thanked each of her guests. Her mother had made delicious food and baked an absolutely gorgeous cake. Kagome hugged and kissed each of her friends goodbye and walked them all out to the front of the shrine. Yuka, Eri, and Ayume left with the bigger crowd after helping clean up leaving Kagome alone with Houjou.

"Well, Kagome," Houjou said scratching the back of his neck, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime."

"Oh! Houjou, uh, well you see," _your not a handsome demon,_ "I don't think I should really get involved with anyone right now," she said slowly watching his face show more and more disappointment as her words continued.

"You see! My Grandpa wants to train me as the next shrine priestess and that's going to take up a good majority of my time after school and on weekends," she explained. "I really like you, Houjou, I really do! But I don't think I could spend as much time with you as you'd like." She mentally patted herself on the back. She thought she had let him down quite nicely. Apparently, he didn't get the clue.

"No worries, Kagome! I'd be privileged just to spend a few moments with you at school!" Houjou countered with a face-splitting grin.

"Uh, yeah. But you understand that I shouldn't really have a boyfriend right now?" Kagome asked him.

"Oh sure! I'll wait for you Kagome. When you're done with training I'll take you out on a fantastic date!" Houjou said excitedly. "Well, I'll be getting home now. Goodnight, Kagome and Happy Birthday." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Kagome sighed. It seemed there was no getting through to that boy.

_Oh well, _she thought, _I'll just have to let him down gently next time. _

She walked back to her darkened house, her family having gone to bed a short time before, and made her way to her bedroom.

She let her hair down from the constraints of Houjou's combs, washed her face free of the makeup the girls had done so lovely, and changed into a comfortable nightshirt before hopping into bed.

Exhausted from her late night yesterday and her long birthday she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit her pillow.

----- ----- ------ ------- ------- -------- -------

Inuyasha continued his watch from the roof. He heard the party wind down and saw the majority of the guests leave. He also saw the girl alone with that human male again, exchanging some stupid conversation, and then, _growl_, he saw the male _kiss _her!

It took every fiber of his being not to rip the boy limb from limb. He watched the girl come back to the house and heard her movements coming closer to what, no doubt, was her room, the room that he was now directly over.

He heard her undressing and getting into bed and waited for her breathing to slow, signaling her descent into sleep. He didn't have to wait for long as her breathing slowed considerably within just a few minutes. He crept down and jumped onto her window ledge, surprised to see the window open, and leapt into her bedroom silently.

He stepped deftly over to the side of her bed and gazed down upon her sleeping form. She slept on her side facing him, one hand hooked beneath her head and the other laying across her stomach. Her lips were parted in her sleep tempting him to feel their warmth. She was in essence...

..._Beautiful._ Inuyasha felt a sudden urge to sweep her up into his arms possessively. Instead, in a moment of complete and utter rashness, he knelt down on one knee beside her bed and pressed his lips gently to hers in a chaste kiss. Breaking the kiss, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Happy Birthday, my Hope."

She sighed happily in her sleep at his words, but did not wake. He stood pulling a small bunch of flowers from his haori he had picked from her garden earlier when she had followed him, and moved to place them on her desk. He was about to place them down on papers he knew were from school when he froze, a cold shiver running up his spine.

Lying on her desk was some sort of homework assignment. Scrawled across the top of the paper in neat handwriting was her name.

_Higurashi Kagome!_

Inuyasha felt his throat constrict as the world came closing in on him. He dropped the flowers on her desk unceremoniously and turned back to the sleeping figure in the bed.

How had he not felt her miko powers before? Ones that were now radiating from her, even in her sleep.

He took several deep breaths to calm his raging youki and placed his hand on the hilt of his katana, knocking it free from its sheath with his thumb. His eyes glazed over, becoming those of an emotionless assassin.

He closed his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry," before turning his golden gaze back to her sleeping form and meeting her stormy blue one.

"My angel," she breathed.

------ ------- -------- -------- -------- --------- --------

This story makes me want to do a happy dance! I love it so much! But no worries! I know there's been a lot of questions regarding my continuation of 'Agent Under Fire' as well. And, YES! I'm still writing AUF... Chapter 16 is under construction as I'm writing to you! So stop spreading rumors people! You're starting to get my panties in a bunch! Assassin's Hope has been plaguing me endlessly for a few weeks now. Bebopping around in my head and going 'We wanna come out! We wanna come out!' So of course I relented and here you have it. So, there's Chapter 2... hope you liked it! BakaInuGirl


	3. Chapter 3

Assassin's Hope

A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger from the last chapter! I couldn't help it! Well anyways here's an update for y'all! On with Chapter 3!!

**Chapter 3**

Kagome stared up at the demon from her place on the bed. His eyes had been closed when she had woken up and although he now gazed at her, she felt as though he did not see her at all.

He stared at her for several moments, his eyes remaining blank, until he shook his head slightly and clenched his eyes shut, falling to his knees in front of her bed whispering, "I'm sorry, I can't do this." Kagome sat up quickly, turning towards her fallen demon.

She reached a hand out tentatively to touch the top of his head gently and let out a startled gasp when he lunged to embrace her around the waist, placing his head in her lap, and muffling a cry.

Kagome stroked his hair comfortingly while whispering soft words. She felt his claws tensing against her sides but never felt afraid that he might hurt her.

Inuyasha took deep breaths trying to calm the emotions that were sweeping through his body. With each breath he drew in her scent, which only proved to calm him further.

He pulled back from her a few moments later, keeping his head lowered so she wouldn't see how upset he had really been, and knelt back on the floor.

"Are you sorry that you came to see me?" she asked casting her eyes downward, becoming upset by his sudden withdrawal from her.

He shook his head slightly. "I've been with you all day," he said quietly, admitting that he had been there since the party.

"I knew I had seen you earlier," she said, a smile forming on her lips. "I was just wondering when you'd come to see me. I wanted you to."

"You... you wanted me to?" he echoed, still refusing to meet her gaze.

"Hai. I left you so quickly last night I never even asked you your name," she said blushing a bit at the memory of her goodbye kiss the night before.

"Inuyasha," he whispered barely audible for human ears to hear. She had, however.

Kagome moved from her place on the bed to kneel on the floor just directly in front of him.

"Inuyasha," she whispered as well, seemingly tasting his name in her mouth. She reached out both hands to cup his face, raising it to meet hers, "I'm..."

"Higurashi Kagome," he said finally meeting her gaze, his own filled with deep emotion.

He saw surprise cross her features before she smiled softly up at him and nodded. Her hands fell away from his face when she realized how close she had moved towards him. She blushed slightly and sat back on her heels.

"I can't be here," Inuyasha said standing quickly. "I have to leave."

He moved towards the window and jumped onto the ledge.

Kagome sat on the floor confused. First she wakes up to find him standing in her room, then he falls into her lap, and now he was leaving again?

"Wait!" she whispered harshly jumping up after him, causing him to pause in her window.

He didn't leave but he kept his gaze on the night sky.

"So that's it then?" she asked softly moving closer to him.

"I can't let this happen," he answered harshly. "I can't let anything happen to you."

"Am I supposed to pretend I never met you, then? Let you disappear into the night, alone?" she asked sadly.

"You have no idea what I am," he said scowling in the darkness.

"I don't care what you are. Demon or not, you saved me last night," she said slowly, lowering her head to hide the heat of embarrassment crossing her face.

"I saved you from falling on your face, big deal," he spat out.

She frowned slightly before looking back up at him, "There's more than one way to save someone."

He turned quickly to look at her, seeing her eyes sparkling even in the darkened room.

"But you're right, Inuyasha. You saved me from falling," she whispered placing her petite hand over his that was currently gripping the windowsill for dear life.

His heart rate sped up as she moved closer to his body crouched in the window. Her aura reached out for him and he could feel her miko powers heighten the closer she got to him. He could smell the lingering scent of her perfume she had worn hours before but a muskier scent was interlaced with it, forcing Inuyasha to stifle a groan.

Kagome reached out her other hand to stroke his cheek lightly before leaning on her tiptoes to press a chaste kiss against his warm lips. She gasped slightly when he began kissing her back and Inuyasha took this as his only chance to taste the young miko and delved his tongue into her warm mouth.

A knock at her bedroom door made her pull away from him quickly and turn towards the noise.

"Kagome?" her mother called through the door.

When Kagome turned back to her window she found it unoccupied. A little disappointed, she moved to open her door.

"Yes, Mama," she answered.

"I thought I heard you up. You should get to bed, you've had such a long day dear," her mother said placing a kiss upon her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Kagome."

"Thanks, Mama. You too," she said closing the door.

She returned to the window and sighed while looking up at the stars, "When will I see you again, Inuyasha?"

Kagome had to stifle a scream when she suddenly found him crouching on her window ledge again.

"Can I see you tomorrow night?" he asked, blushing a bit and thanking Kami that she couldn't see it in the darkness. "I'll come to your room again."

She giggled softly, "A demon sneaking into a young woman's room at night? What would the neighbors think?"

"Half-demon," he said gruffly.

"What?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"I'm only a hanyou," he repeated.

"Oh. Well in that case who cares what the neighbors think," she said smiling.

He couldn't help but smirk down at her, "Tomorrow night then, Kagome."

"Tomorrow night, Inuyasha," she agreed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, the same one Houjou had only hours before, only now she felt a jolt of electricity flow from that very same spot.

"Promise me to stay safe," he pressed.

She could only nod her response as she watched him leap gracefully from her window and disappear into the night. Her eyes wandered back to her desk where she noticed the small bunch of wild flowers he had left there for her. She smiled to herself and sighed blissfully in the only fashion young girls can, floating to her bed and lying down for the rest of the night. She thought sleep would be difficult to overcome her after that encounter but within minutes she was drowsing into dreams of her gentle hanyou.

----- ------ ------ ------ ------- ------- -------- ------

Inuyasha sprinted over the rooftops of the city in the direction of the manor.

_What am I going to tell Sesshoumaru?_ He wondered. He could tell him he had done his job and ask to move on to the next miko.

_He won't smell ningen blood on you, _his mind rationalized. Sesshoumaru always told him to bathe after a night's killing because the reek of human blood upset his lordship.

_You could slaughter another human girl,_ he thought to himself. He shook his head, almost violently.

"No more murdering. For Kagome," he said aloud. _For Kagome? What the fuck? You are an assassin. The only think you know how to do is kill. Stop fooling yourself. _

"No, she sees me as more. Someone that can save, that can help," he almost pleaded against his thoughts.

_So what would you do? Once you refuse your role in bringing down the prophecy Sesshoumaru will throw you out of the manor. You will have nowhere to go. _

"I can be with Kagome," he barked out.

_You fool. What makes you think she'd want you? You slaughtered her own kind. _

"I'll tell her! Tomorrow night! Everything," he vowed.

_And betray _your_ own kind. _

"Damnit!" he swore. His mind was right. How could he save one without betraying the other? He saw no way how he could. He stopped suddenly when the manor came into view.

_Sesshoumaru will have sensed that I'm already here_. He sighed, knowing he would have to tell the demon lord about his failure to slay the young miko. Why _had_ he not been able to slay her that night?

_Because when she looked at you, you saw something you had never seen before._

"And what was that?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically.

_She cares for you. Even after such a short amount of time. You saw it, too. That is why you spared her life._

Inuyasha knew it was true. It was her eyes and her voice that brought him back from the mindless path of an assassin. She comforted him when he realized he couldn't kill her. And she kissed him, thinking that he was a full demon, and showed no sign of fear.

_She kissed me!_ Inuyasha found he was smiling slightly at the memory. He had tasted her, too. Her lips were soft and tasted the slightest bit of peppermint oil, no doubt from some sort of lip balm. When he had slipped his tongue in to taste her he found there was nothing to cover up her natural flavor, it was simply a condensed version of her scent, only one that he could savor on his tongue.

Inuyasha found that he was panting slightly from only the memory of their heated moment. He tried to regain control of himself before continuing on to the manor.

_Now to face Sesshoumaru_.

Inside the manor it was silent, almost eerily so. Inuyasha moved throughout the large estate to Sesshoumaru's quarters. He reached the door and prepared to knock when he heard a voice from within call, "Enter Inuyasha."

He opened the door slowly to see Sesshoumaru kneeling before the fire. Tea and a setting for two were placed near it.

"Join this Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, for some tea," his older brother said.

"It's not poisoned is it?" Inuyasha asked harshly.

"If this Sesshoumaru wished to kill you, he would not have to resort to poison," he responded unfeelingly.

"True. You'd slaughter me in front of an audience to prove your superiority," Inuyasha spat.

Sesshoumaru only nodded and poured Inuyasha the tea.

"You have failed in your duty, Inuyasha," he stated, it was not a question.

"I have," Inuyasha responded unwavering.

"Why do you dishonor your heritage, so?" Sesshoumaru asked not looking at him.

"_You_... you are telling me I've dishonored my heritage? My heritage wants nothing to do with me because of my human blood! I owe my heritage nothing," Inuyasha spat out.

"You have forgotten the face of your father, Inuyasha. You dishonor him by turning your back on your duty," Sesshoumaru continued calmly. "She is only human. You find her to be special, Inuyasha?"

"I don't have to tell you anything!" he said growing agitated.

"By your countenance, this Sesshoumaru sees you hold some feeling for this human," the inu-youkai pointed out.

Inuyasha automatically quieted, "I can't... I won't kill her. I would rather dishonor my _heritage_ and be cast out than take another innocent life! You want to stop the prophecy from occurring, then you get out there and bloody your own claws. But I will warn you, Sesshoumaru, if you or your minions go anywhere near her I will kill you before you draw Tenseiga."

With that Inuyasha stormed towards the door.

"There is another way of bringing down a miko, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, still sitting in his place.

Inuyasha stopped and questioned, "Without taking her life?"

"Yes."

"How?" Inuyasha asked turning around again.

"You must take something else of hers causing impurity to take root in her soul," Sesshoumaru stated staring into the fire.

"What must I take?" Inuyasha asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Sesshoumaru looked up at him, the only time during their conversation that he had made eye contact, "You, Inuyasha, must take her innocence."

------ ------- ------- ------- -------- -------- -------

Inuyasha lay on his futon in the middle of his quarters, staring up at the ceiling.

_Take her innocence? I couldn't_.

His thoughts wandered back to his encounter with Sesshoumaru.

_"You mean rape her?" Inuyasha asked, his anger rising again._

"_This Sesshoumaru feels it could be consensual," the tai-youkai said calmly. _

"_I couldn't! Kagome's pure. I would do nothing to taint that!" Inuyasha growled. _

"_It is your choice, Inuyasha. You have only a fortnight to make your decision before this Sesshoumaru makes his and slaughters you both. Either take her life or take her innocence," he said stoically. _

Inuyasha had stormed out of his brother's quarters, his mind reeling with the options he was given. He had somehow made it to his own quarters in the manor and flopped down on his futon, where now he lay trying to sort his feelings out.

Sesshoumaru had said it could be consensual. So if she agreed... 

"No! I will not deceive her!" he said, receiving silence as a response.

_But what if you told her. Told her everything... ...and then she agreed?_

"I will tell her everything. But not about me taking her," he said. His resolve set he closed his eyes, allowing a few hours of sleep to overtake him.

------ ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- -------

It was still dark out when Kagome heard pounding on her door. She groaned, still being mostly asleep, and stood quickly to get her door.

"What is it?" she called.

"Kagome, your training begins today!" her grandpa piped up when she opened the door. He was standing in her door wearing a white kimono and gray hakama and holding a broom and clothes out to her.

"Grandpa, I was up late because of my party. Couldn't you let me sleep at least a little _past_ dawn?" she moaned sitting back on her bed.

"Young lady, if you wish to be the next shrine priestess you must begin training very early," he berated.

"And if I don't wish?" Kagome asked yawning.

"You must never say such things child. Kami will punish you for your blasphemy," her grandpa chided. "Now, change into these shrine clothes and begin sweeping the grounds.

Kagome frowned at the clothes he held out to her but changed nonetheless. Her grandpa had given her a white kimono much like his but dark blue hakama instead of the tradition priestess red.

_Marking me 'Priestess in Training' to the visitors I suppose, _she thought with a groan.

She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and set off to start her training. She left her house and began sweeping the grounds dutifully. She stopped sweeping when she saw the first rays of light over the horizon. She watched the sun rise, taking in the natural beauty that the city couldn't hide, and longed for the cover of night to come so her hanyou would visit again.

She sighed and set back to her work. It didn't take long for her grandpa to come out and give her more work. He told her washing the shrine steps would build her patience, pulling weeds from the garden built strength, and sweeping the steps by the sacred well would build courage. Kagome only smiled and shook her head when he left knowing he was getting cheap labor for the upkeep of the property.

While Kagome worked on cleaning the shrine, several visitors came and went, asking her questions either about the Goshinboku or the sacred well. She answered most of their questions politely, and those she did not know how to answer she directed them to her grandfather, who met them kindly holding out souvenirs key chains of something called the Shikon no Tama. She giggled slightly before turning back to her chores but cried out and stumbled backwards and fell when she saw someone was standing in front of her.

"You scare too easily, priestess," a deep voice said from above her.

Kagome glanced up but was blinded by the sunlight blaring from behind the voice. She shielded her eyes and frowned, "Priestess in training, I'm afraid."

"Are you?" the voice asked.

"Am I what?" she questioned getting up slowly and dusting herself off.

"Afraid?" it asked again. She glanced up now, a scowl set on her face and ready to retort when all thought escaped her when she saw the owner of the voice.

_He looks like Inuyasha,_ she thought.

Upon further inspection of his features she realized he was nothing like her hanyou. His eyes, though the same golden color had no emotion in them, his face resigned into an expressionless mask. He had facial markings, a crescent moon, and two crimson stripes on his cheeks, which stood out, seemingly branding him separate from all other beings at the shrine. He had silver hair, almost identical to Inuyasha's, except kept extremely neat, not wild like the younger hanyou's.

He watched her take in the sight that stood before her. "You are quite lovely, for a human. I can see why he is infatuated with you."

"You're a demon," she whispered, it was not a question. She was getting strange feelings from him. Rolling off of him in waves of contempt and quiet rage.

"This, Sesshoumaru is a great demon," he said emotionless.

"Why have you come?" she asked quietly.

"To see that my half-brother has not made a grave mistake," he stated.

"And... has he?" she asked the demon lord.

"It has yet to be seen," he said, and with that leapt away from her, leaving her staring into the sky at the retreating figure of the tai-youkai.

_Half-brother? Infatuated with me?_

"Inuyasha, has feelings for me?" she asked absolutely no one in particular. She blushed at the thought and she felt suddenly happy despite the odd feelings she had just gotten from the strange demon.

She continued her chores, err, training and began humming a happy tune and smiling to herself almost forgetting the strange visit she had moments before.

------ ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- -------

Inuyasha had been working out in the dojo again, working himself up in order to get out some energy. He had stripped off his outer haori and inner kimono due to the heat of the day and was practicing lithe moves through the air with the Tetsusaiga.

"You have improved half-breed. But can your feeble moves protect her, Inuyasha?" the same cold voice asked from the doorway of the dojo.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Sesshoumaru. Of course I can protect her," Inuyasha ground out.

"Then why were you not there to protect her today when this Sesshoumaru paid your young miko a visit?" he asked, his usually expressionless face showing a bit of bemusement.

Inuyasha's blood chilled and his pulse quickened, feeling like it pulsed through the Tetsusaiga as well.

"I told you not to fucking touch her!" he screamed before lunging at Sesshoumaru, pinning him against the wall, Tetsusaiga placed against his throat ready to cut.

Inuyasha noticed his brother's slight intake of breath and his eyes widening just a bit. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Sesshoumaru?"

"Your katana... ...has changed," Sesshoumaru remarked quietly, staring at the Tetsusaiga.

"What are you blithering..." Inuyasha stopped when he too glimpsed the sword. The usual, almost rusted katana had transformed into something that was at least three times its usual size. It looked almost like a...

"A fang," Inuyasha marveled. Gaping at it mouth hanging open he couldn't find the words to form one sentence.

"Lord Inuyasha! You've transformed the Tetsusaiga!" a small voice rejoiced.

"Myouga, what the fuck happened to my sword?" Inuyasha asked still entranced by the blade. He noticed Sesshoumaru compose himself out of the corner of his eye, but did not miss the look of jealousy thrown at him either. Inuyasha growled and Sesshoumaru spoke softly, "This Sesshoumaru has not touched your miko."

"Lords Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, we must sit down and discuss the properties of your swords Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. The time has come," the flea suggested.

"We will discuss this in my quarters," Sesshoumaru stated, before turning and walking away, not waiting for their response.

Inuyasha stared at his sword for a few more moments before seeing if it could be sheathed. Succeeding in sheathing his sword he moved to follow his older brother to learn more about the twin katanas.

Myouga sat near the fire with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sitting quietly around him, surprisingly ceasing sibling rivalry for a brief moment.

He cleared his tiny throat and began his tale, "You have both been told the prophecy made long ago. It was foretold that a powerful miko would emerge to destroy all youkai races, leaving humans to master the world. It was put in your father's care to begin a society of assassins, born and bred with one purpose in life, to kill any and all mikos with spiritual powers."

The two demons knew this story well, for they too were raised as assassins, emotionless, killing beings who felt no remorse for their hate-filled actions.

Myouga continued, "You, Lord Sesshoumaru are old enough to remember your father's death. But you, Lord Inuyasha, were too young to remember your father's demise. Your father had trained demons under the society for missions. He had to turn one demon away from the society, one so rebellious that he tried to overthrow your father's power. This demon, a dragon demon named Ryuukotsusei, was banished from the society. His power grew on his own, and he became a very powerful and formidable enemy. He challenged your father one day. The battle waged long and hard. Your father's strength was giving out, but he finally succeeded in sealing Ryuukotsusei to a mountainside. Unfortunately, in doing this your father used up his youki and he died shortly after."

The two brothers remained silent, Inuyasha looking into the fire sadly.

"Because of this," Myouga said, "Lord Sesshoumaru rose into your father's position. Most of the demons in the society were outraged because of his youth, and they left the society. Others chose to stay until you, Lord Inuyasha, were old enough and trained enough to be the one remaining assassin."

This had all been news to Inuyasha, having never heard the cause of his father's death, or the reason for the sudden loss of so many assassins.

"Myouga, this still doesn't tell us much about our katanas," Inuyasha told him pointedly.

"You speak true, Lord Inuyasha," Myouga said bowing his head, "Your katanas are not simple swords left to you by your father. They were forged especially for your individual youki. The Tetsusaiga was made by your father's fang for Lord Inuyasha to yield in _protection_ of the human race. The Tenseiga, its brother, was also forged by your father's fang for Lord Sesshoumaru to yield in order to _save_ the human race. When wielded together the swords are unstoppable against enemies of humanity."

"This Sesshoumaru does not understand. Tenseiga has never been wielded," the older sibling spoke.

"The prophecy does, indeed, state that a miko would destroy the youkai race. However, it goes on to state that youkai, enemies allied in the fight, would have saved all humanity," Myouga finished.

"That doesn't make sense, Myouga!" Inuyasha berated. "If all youkai are killed by this miko how can they save all humanity?"

"It says they would have, Lord Inuyasha," Myouga stated bowing his head. "That is why your father began the society of assassins. If the miko could be brought down then youkai would be free to save humans. Hence the reasons for your swords."

"So we've been slaying innocent humans, spilling their blood, muffling their cries of torture in order to save them? That's fucking insane, Myouga," Inuyasha spat out. His mind was reeling with this new information.

There's been more to the prophecy all along.

"This prophecy," Sesshoumaru said opening his eyes, "It states what the youkai saved humanity from?"

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," Myouga nodded, "A human himself that will invoke the power of hundreds of demons."

"If he becomes a demon what use would he have killing off humankind?" Inuyasha asked.

"To gain complete and supreme power," Myouga answered, "Although it is said he cannot achieve this without the use of some powerful jewel."

"What is this jewel you mention?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I know not, Lord Sesshoumaru," Myouga said somewhat sadly.

"This is bullshit. It's so fucking confusing. Why can't a prophecy just be straight forward with names and dates instead of this guesswork bullshit?" Inuyasha growled.

"Perhaps my lords need some time to process this new information. Time for supper approaches anyway," Myouga suggested.

"Myouga is right, Inuyasha. We will ponder this some more. And you must prepare for a visit to your young miko," Sesshoumaru said coolly.

_Kagome_, he had almost forgotten he was to meet her tonight. He nodded before standing and leaving the room. He could not believe all Myouga had told him and now it seemed there was even more he needed to tell Kagome when he saw her.

Suddenly the manor seemed to be closing in on him and he needed to get out. He ran outside quickly and disappeared into the forest, trying to work out what he had just learned. Trying to escape the fact that his destiny may have already been written.

------ ------ ------- ------ ------ -------- --------

Kagome had been exhausted by her grandpa's demands and by the visit of that mysterious demon before. She trudged her way up the stairs to her bathroom, stripped off her priestess training clothes and sunk into a hot bath her mother had prepared for her.

"Good 'ole Mama," she sighed.

After her bath, Kagome changed into a simple pair of shorts and a fitted tee shirt and practically fell into bed.

"Just a little nap before dinner would be good," she mumbled already floating into dreamland.

She slept dreamlessly for about an hour when a light knock came on her door.

"Kagome dear? Dinnertime. I've made your favorite," her mother called gently through the door.

Kagome turned over, eyes still closed, wanting to slip back into the darkness of her dreamless sleep when a thought occurred to her. _My favorite?_

"Oden!" she exclaimed leaping out of bed and rushing down the stairs. Kagome was already sitting at the table when her mom turned around and startled.

"Kagome! Wow, that was fast!" her mother mused.

"I'm starving after the day I had! And oden, Mama you know it's my favorite," Kagome beamed.

"I hope Grandpa hasn't worked you too hard," her mother said concern showing on her face.

"Not really, I mean it is Saturday and all so I can work longer hours. But I hope he doesn't think I can do all of that after school every day," Kagome hoped.

"I'm sure he won't," her mother said giving her daughter a reassuring smile.

Grandpa and Souta joined them right as Mama was serving dinner. Dinner went as usual, Grandpa asking Kagome about her priestess training, Souta telling them all about some new videogame at the arcade, and Mama serving up more oden. Kagome told them all about the rest of the party last night and couldn't thank them enough for agreeing to throw it. She did however leave out the visit made by the two demons, eh, well one and a half demons anyway.

She was helping her mother clean up dinner shortly afterwards when her doorbell rang. She could hear the chatter of teenage girls on the other side before she opened up. Eri, Yuka, and Ayume all stood on her front steps chattering away about the party and Houjou and Kagome that they hardly noticed she had opened the door.

"Uh, guys?" she asked.

They all turned to her, pausing in conversation briefly, before turning their questions on her.

"So what happened after we left?" Eri asked.

"We encouraged Houjou to ask you out last night, did he?" Ayume inquired secondly.

"Did he kiss you or what?" Yuka burst out.

Kagome turned an interesting shade of pink thinking of a way to answer them. She decided to tell them the truth.

"Well, you see... eh, Houjou did ask me out last night after you left, but I explained to him that Grandpa wants to start training me as the next shrine priestess and that would take up a good portion of my time for the next few months. He understood why I couldn't have a boyfriend right now, but promised to take me out for a lovely dinner when I'm done with training. And yes, he did kiss me, but on the cheek," she tried to finish as quickly as possible.

All three girls sighed in unison, "How romantic!"

"Romantic? Were you three listening?" she asked.

"A moonlit walk, a secret rendezvous after all the party guests left, he's willing to wait for your training to end before sweeping you off for a romantic evening together," Eri said dreamily.

"Uh, yeah... I guess you were sort of listening," Kagome said rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Kagome! Can't you see how much he wants you! He got you a fabulous birthday gift, practically fell over himself at the party last night, and then asked you out! Houjou's so cool too. _And_ an older guy," Yuka pointed out.

"Will you accept his invitation when your training is through?" Ayume asked.

"Of course she will! She's not stupid!" Yuka interrupted. Ayume shot Kagome a sympathetic look before turning to Yuka.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, Yuka," Ayume smiled.

The girls chatted for a bit, Kagome told them how her training went that day, and the girls told her about their visit to the mall and how they saw Houjou with a bunch of guy friends. Kagome gave a short yawn, which the girls took as a sign to leave, thankfully.

"Bye Kagome, I hope your training doesn't keep you so busy that we all can't hang out," Ayume said on the way out the door.

"I hope not too, Ayume. Bye Eri! Bye Yuka!" she waved out the door. She headed upstairs to her room, calling a quick goodnight to her Mama.

She looked at the clock and was surprised to see it was closer to ten o'clock at night. Her day had absolutely flown by and here she thought she would be sitting around waiting for her hanyou for hours.

She sighed and sat down at her desk, pulling out some homework assignment she had to finish by Monday morning. The only problem was that her mind was restless. She couldn't focus on her work and her thoughts kept turning to Inuyasha. Her eyes drifted over the bunch of wildflowers he had brought her, she had placed them in a vase with water earlier that day, and wondered when he'd be visiting that night.

She yawned and decided homework would not be the best that night and turned off her desk lamp and moved to her closet to pull out some nightclothes. She was about to change when she heard a soft thump behind her. Turning around her stormy blue eyes met amber blazing in the darkness.

"Inuyasha?" she asked softly.

"Did Sesshoumaru hurt you?" he asked moving towards her and holding her shoulders lightly. "In any way?"

"He scared me a bit, sneaking up on me when I was sweeping the shrine, but other than that, no. He didn't hurt me," she told him looking up at him with worry.

He sighed with relief and drew her into a light embrace, tucking her head underneath his chin, "I was worried that he'd hurt you."

"Why would he hurt me?" she asked pulling back from him a bit, her blush from his embrace staining her cheeks.

"Kagome. There's something, some _things_ I need to tell you," he said lowering his head.

"What is it? Did something happen to you? Are you alright?" she questioned, raising a hand to cup his cheek. Her concern for him touched something deep within him and he longed to hold her.

He shook his head slowly, "I think you better sit down, Kagome."

"Alright," she took his hand gently, causing his eyes to widen in surprise a bit, and led him over to her bed. She sat down and then pulled lightly on his hand til he sat next to her.

"Ok, so shoot," she said giving him a reassuring smile.

"Well, for starters, that's something you never say to an assassin," he said smirking slightly.

"A what?" she asked, mouth forming a small 'o' of shock.

"I am Inuyasha, second son of Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands. Born and raised an assassin of mikos," he began. He recounted his tale: the prophecy that condemned him to the life he lead, the centuries his family had vowed to keep the prophecy at bay, the terrible death of his father, and the alienation he felt from his brother.

He told her the information Myouga had shared with them about their swords, he tried desperately to choke down the tears that rose when he thought of the blood he had spilled with the blade destined to protect humanity, and he finally ended his tale with his last assignment.

"I met this amazing girl that blazed with this internal light that I couldn't quite pinpoint. She drew me to her. I helped her out one night and returned to the manor. The next morning, girl still in mind, Sesshoumaru gave me the name of my next miko," he paused looking up at her. "It was the same girl I had met the night before, but I had no idea she was one in the same. I went to her house, watched her dance and laugh with friends, and at the end of the night I went to her, and accidentally found out the girl was my miko."

Tears stood out in Kagome's blue eyes as she looked at him, "And, the name of your miko?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Higurashi Kagome," he said lowering his head to allow his bangs to hide his eyes.

"I am your miko," she whispered slowly. He nodded refusing to meet her gaze.

"And, do you think I could destroy the youkai race?" she asked, her voice wavering.

His eyes shot up to meet her, "Never Kagome! You couldn't!"

"But I could, if I have these miko powers that you say you can feel," she said.

"That's what glows from within you. A light so pure it threatens to purify everything in its wake," he told her.

"And that's how it happens? That's how the prophecy comes to pass?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he answered truthfully.

"Then you must do it, Inuyasha," she whispered, tears now streaming down her face.

"What? NO KAGOME!" he nearly yelled. "I will not draw your blood. No more blood, Kagome or my soul will never wash clean."

"But it's the only way!" she pleaded grabbing a hold of his hand.

_Tell her_, his mind whispered.

"No!" he answered both.

"Please, Inuyasha? I couldn't stand the thought of destroying you!" she pleaded with him, leaning forward to place her forehead against his shoulder.

_Tell her,_ his mind repeated.

"There's another way, Kagome," he whispered down to her.

She drew back from him, searching his face for an answer.

"What is it? Anything! I'll do anything to keep myself from destroying you," she said wiping at her tear stained cheeks.

"Don't say that, Kagome. Not until you've heard what it is," he said pulling his hand free from her grasp and walking to the window.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, surprised at his sudden gruffness.

"There is a way to undo your miko powers without taking your life," he said looking down. "But I'd have to take something else in exchange."

"What Inuyasha? What would you need to take?" she asked moving towards him and placing her small hand on his shoulder.

He met her questioning gaze with his own sad one, "Your purity, Kagome."

"I don't understand. How could you take my purity?" she asked a bit confused.

"Kagome, I would need to take your innocence."

------- ------- ------- ------- --------- ---------- ----------

Yikes that was a long chapter! Well there's Chapter 3... I'm going to go and do my happy dance again cause I love this story. Let me know what you think! B.I.G.


	4. Chapter 4

Assassin's Hope

A/N: I know it's been awhile since I updated but I have interviews out the wazoo! Hopefully one will result in a job offer. If that happens, no, I will NOT delete any of my stories or stop writing them. Updates will just be slower. Sorry about the little cliffhanger from last time, but on with Chapter 4!

**NEW A/N: **Thanks to Angel fire east for the info on a fortnight... that'll teach me to write without looking up English literature! Thanks... so story's been changed just a bit.

**Chapter 4**

"My innocence," Kagome whispered turning her gaze out the window alongside the hanyou.

Inuyasha waited for the information to sink in. He knew he shouldn't have told her. She would never agree to something like that, nor would he want to compromise her either.

"But I'm only fifteen," she said, almost pleading with the gods to offer some other answer to their problem.

"I told you, you wouldn't like it," Inuyasha answered quietly.

"I don't want to die, Inuyasha," she said in a small voice, looking down at her feet and taking a small step towards him.

"I wouldn't let you, Kagome! I'd protect you!" he replied adamantly, his mind registering shock at the sudden pulse from the Tetsusaiga resting on his hip.

"And I don't want you to die, either," she continued, taking another step towards the assassin.

"If my death meant your life, I'd make the sacrifice, Kagome," he all but whispered.

She looked up at him quickly, surprised at how close those two steps had placed their bodies, "That would be a sacrifice I couldn't live with." She placed her small hand against his cheek, rubbing her thumb across his lower lip. He reached his own hand up and covered her small one.

"I couldn't take your innocence, Kagome," he told her.

"It is mine to give," she said softly before claiming his lips in a soft kiss. She licked the lip she had caressed just a moment ago shocking the young hanyou by her boldness. He opened his mouth to her, reaching his tongue out to meet hers half way. Her hand on his cheek moved up to tangle with his hair at the nape of his neck as his hands moved around her waist to pull her near. The kiss became one of heated passion as their auras called out to each other, intertwining pure white with assassin red and forming a new energy around the two.

Something stirred inside Inuyasha and he felt the overwhelming need to take her as his own, to push her down and claim her before she even knew what was happening. He broke the kiss suddenly, pushing her gently away, far enough that he could not feel the heat from her body.

"I can't, Kagome," he nearly growled out, his face turned away and ears lowered in a sorrowful countenance.

Her look of hurt was lost on him as his face was turned away from her. "Why?" she whispered sadly, her voice threatening to break with the sob that was rising in her throat.

_Yes, why?_ His mind groaned.

He pulled her into an embrace, tucking her head under his chin, resting one hand on the back of her neck and the other tightly around her waist.

"Because... because I couldn't take that light away from you. Your light, your purity is like a beacon in darkness. That's what drew me to you to begin with," he answered, his voice low.

She pulled away from him, "You're only attracted to my virginity?"

He flinched as though she had slapped him, "That's not what I said, Kagome."

Tears stood out in her eyes and he felt his heart constrict, "So, as soon as my innocence is reaped you'll be gone? Off to find another miko with an 'inner light'?"

"No, Kagome," he answered moving closer to her, only with every step he took she took one back. "I told you no more murdering."

"But you've found another way to get rid of miko energy. Why kill when you can be their first lover?" she accused, the first tears overflowing over her cheeks.

"Kagome," he said having a struck look. "Onegai, let me explain."

"Explain what?" she snapped at him. "Explain that the only way to save youkai is to take young mikos to bed?" She continued to back up as he came closer.

"No, bitch! To explain that I could never see you tainted by a dirty half-breed!" he snarled at her.

She gasped, "Is that what you think you are?"

"That's what I _know_ I am," he countered, turning his back to her. He nearly jumped when he felt her slender arms encircle him from behind. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder blade and sighed.

"You are _not_ a dirty half-breed, Inuyasha. Anyone who says so is jealous because you're perfect," she whispered.

"I'm not perfect, Kagome. Look at everything I've done," he said pointedly.

She tightened her embrace, "To save your people, Inuyasha. You sacrificed your heart for the sake of your race. Not many would do that."

He shook his head slightly, but she continued anyway, "But I can, Inuyasha. Let me sacrifice something to help save _you_ this time."

He took her hands and turned around to face her, "I couldn't ask you to do that, Kagome. There's more to it than that."

"What else is there?" she asked setting her curious gaze on him.

"If I were to take your innocence, Kagome, I would be taking you as my mate," he said slowly.

"And?" she prodded.

"And... inu-youkai mate... for life," he finished with a sigh.

She let out a small 'oh' and suddenly found the floor of great interest.

"I couldn't do that to you, Kagome, to give up everything for a life with a hanyou. We would be alone. Humans would shun us, youkai would hate us," he continued.

He saw a small smile form on her lips, "But we'd have each other, Inuyasha."

"Kagome," he said lifting her chin to see her face, "I won't ask this of you."

"So, don't ask me!" she insisted. "This is the 21st century. Let me decide my own actions."

He relented, "Agreed. _But_ you take time to make your decision. A fortnight will be given to you to decide."

"A fortnight? That's about a two weeks?" Kagome asked.

He nodded. "In that time I could introduce you to the youkai world. Allow you to see what your choice could mean."

"Could I show you my world then? I mean, _my world_, my family, maybe friends?" she asked tentatively.

"Your family probably should meet me, at any time. But I will meet your friends on the night of my choosing," he stated matter-of-factly.

She smiled up at him, "Then, in two weeks time, I will make my decision."

Her smile was infectious and he gave her a small smile, revealing a fang, "In two weeks time."

"And when I make my decision. You'll accept it? No matter what?" she asked.

He sighed. He had to accept her decision. Hopefully, she would choose him otherwise Sesshoumaru would take matters into his own hands. Inuyasha inwardly shuddered at that thought and made a silent pledge to keep Kagome safe at all cost.

Stepping away from her slightly, he knelt on one knee, bowed his head and said, "Young miko, I will respect your word. My honor bound to you."

She giggled softly at his small act of chivalry and a blush crept across her face. When he stood up again he saw a small yawn escape her.

"You're tired, Kagome. I should leave you now so you can get some sleep," he said turning towards her window.

"Um... Inuyasha?" she asked softly.

He turned back to her a questioning look on his face.

She blushed again and a small laugh escaped her lips, "Could you... I mean... would you stay close until I fall asleep. What I mean is... you don't have to stay in here, but just close enough that I can sense you?"

"Aa, I'll stay," he answered. "I'll be right there," he pointed at her window towards the large tree on the grounds.

She drew closer to see what he was pointing at, "The Goshinboku."

He looked down at her as she stared at the tree. When she looked back up he saw she was blushing again.

"Be here, tomorrow at nightfall?" he asked her.

She smiled, her eyes bright, and nodded.

"I'll come for you, Kagome," he told her before leaning down and giving her a quick kiss. Before she had time to respond he leapt out the window and bounded towards the Goshinboku. She saw him nestle himself into a bough high above the ground and close his eyes.

Kagome sighed and went back to her closet for her bedclothes she had gotten out before. Changing quickly for bed she got under the covers and closed her eyes. She tried to picture Inuyasha sitting high in the tree in her mind's eye, but all she could see was a bright red light in the darkness of her imagination. _I can sense him_, she thought before drifting off to sleep.

Sitting in the tree with his eyes closed, Inuyasha felt energy flow over him like ripples from a pond. _She sent her miko energy out to find me_, he thought. For some reason, that thought comforted him, and he allowed himself to relax enough to fall into a light slumber.

Ooooo oooooo oooooo oooooo 

Sesshoumaru sat up in his quarters in the manor. His gaze wandered over his katana lain out before him.

_How can Tenseiga save humanity when it has never been wielded?_ His mind questioned. _I will not save weak humans. Perhaps one should see if humanity is worthy of salvation?_

The tai-youkai left his quarters and flew off into the night in the direction of the city. The city that was full of sin and hatred, murderers and thieves. The inu-youkai knew he would find no reason to save humanity there and inwardly smirked at the thought while his stoic countenance remained.

The stench of the city made Sesshoumaru balk in disgust and he decided to land in a small park near the outskirts of the business district. The smell was less acute in the park and the tai-youkai closed his eyes, his chin lifted in the air, and listened to the human activity around him.

"_Well, well... look'ee what we have here," a gruff male voice catcalled. "What a pretty lady. Can I help you carry those bags?"_

"_No, thank you. Please leave me alone," a female voice responded, her voice apparently shaky. _

"_No, I don't think I will," the male responded. "Why don't you hand over that purse of yours?"_

Sesshoumaru snorted but kept his eyes closed listening to the distant conversation: city full of thieves and no humanity.

"_Here! Take it! Please don't hurt me!" the female voice pleaded. _

"_But such a pretty lady shouldn't be left alone tonight," the male voice taunted. _

A grunt was heard and then the woman shrieked causing Sesshoumaru to wince because of his enhanced hearing.

"_No! Please! Let go! You're hurting me!" the woman pleaded. _

"That's the point you stupid bitch! At least I'm gonna have a little fun tonight," the male ground out.

The sound of a fist colliding with flesh was heard along with the tearing of cloth. The woman began to scream, a horrid blood-curdling scream that caused Sesshoumaru to snap open his eyes.

"_Fucking bitch! Shut the fuck up!"_ _the male voice growled. _

A gunshot was heard throughout the park and Sesshoumaru took off in the direction of the voices. When he reached the two he saw the woman's skirt had been torn off and her shirt was pushed up in an awkward way. A bullet wound was spurting blood from her throat and her screams were silent, as her vocal chords had just been blown away. The robber turned rapist was working to remove part of his clothes when the tai-youkai decided to remedy the situation.

"You will _yield_!" Sesshoumaru yelled causing the man to look up at the intruder.

"Fuck off, buddy. I saw her first," the man responded.

"This Sesshoumaru will do no such thing and you _will_ yield!" he said, and before either the man or the woman knew it, Sesshoumaru had the man pinned against a tree with his claws around the man's throat.

"What the fuck man? Are you mental?" the human pleaded under the pressure of Sesshoumaru's hand.

"You are the reason humanity will _not _be saved," Sesshoumaru said in a low voice, his face remaining an emotionless mask. With one sharp flick of his wrist he snapped the man's neck. Letting the man's limp body slump to the ground he turned back to the woman still sprawled out where she was attacked.

He walked over to her body and saw that she had gone unconscious from blood loss. Kneeling down he lifted her body effortless and listened carefully for a heart beat. It was shallow and slow, but still beating. He picked her up, cradling her to his chest, and took off in the direction of the manor.

He arrived back in his bedchamber a few moments later and placed the woman on his bed. Inuyasha could refuse to change his preference from the futon to the more comfortable western style bed, but the tai-youkai enjoyed the comfort the bed provided. The woman took one shuddering breath and her heart beat no more.

Sesshoumaru started when Tenseiga pulsed from its place on his hip.

_The Tenseiga calls out to her human aura. _

He unsheathed the sword and watched it pulse in his grasp. When he looked at the woman he saw dark creatures descending on her.

_They are from the other world, to take her soul. I wonder if I can test Tenseiga's power. _

Sesshoumaru drew the sword back and made one wide sweep through the creatures of the underworld, decimating them in its wake. Sheathing the Tenseiga, Sesshoumaru sat next to the woman on the bed and gathered her up into his arms. He watched as the bullet wound healed at a rapid rate and the blood and bruising she had obtained during the attack began to disappear. Her skin was smooth and unflawed and he noticed the slight rose color that bloomed on her cheeks as life rushed back to her.

She stirred and slowly opened her eyes, chocolate brown eyes whose gaze connected with the cold golden stare of the inu-youkai. The woman began to shake in his grasp and tried to clamber away from him when he reached one hand up to stroke her hair lightly.

"You are safe in this Sesshoumaru's care," he stated evenly.

She nodded slowly and stopped shaking as he continued to stroke her chestnut colored hair, "That man?"

"He will bother you no more," he said coldly. "You will rest in this manor tonight. The servant Jaken will get you anything you require to be comfortable. This Sesshoumaru will return in the morning to check on you, human."

With that he placed her back on his bed and stood to leave the room.

"Rin," her voice called after him. He turned, raising an eyebrow in question to her. "My name is Rin, not 'human', and... ...thank you Sesshoumaru-sama."

"You thank this Sesshoumaru? For what?" he asked.

"For saving my life," she said looking away from him. He did not miss the tear that slid down her cheek, nor did he miss the sudden urge from deep inside him to go and lick it away, comforting her. Disgusted with his sudden feelings he turned silently and left the room, leaving the woman named Rin behind weeping on his bed.

He passed Jaken in the corridor. "Jaken, you will find a human woman by the name of Rin in my bedchambers. Go to her and give her whatever she wishes to be comfortable this night."

"Yes, milord," the toad-like youkai answered bowing.

"And Jaken," Sesshoumaru said, "If I hear you have been rude to our guest, this Sesshoumaru will help you learn your place. I will be in my study the rest of the evening."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru!" he squeaked before continuing on his way.

Sesshoumaru continued to his study where he sat once again and contemplated his actions from earlier that evening. _Why did I feel it necessary to save that human woman? I was just testing the power of Tenseiga. Why was this Sesshoumaru about to degrade himself by comforting her?_

Oooo oooooo ooooooo oooooo 

The early morning sun woke Inuyasha from his light slumber. From the amount of light on the horizon he could tell it was somewhere around six in the morning and knew Kagome would not wake for a few more hours.

Having this knowledge one could imagine his surprise when he leapt down from the Goshinboku to find Kagome already at the base of the tree tending to the small garden the tree housed in its shade.

"Good morning, Inuyasha," she said with a smile.

"Feh," he answered her, noticing she was wearing traditional miko robes, "I didn't even sense your movement this morning. How long have you been up?"

"Since dawn. Grandpa feels that true shrine priestesses start their work at daybreak. I feel that true shrine priestesses haven't existed for hundreds of years and only crackpots like Grandpa get up at dawn," she said giggling softly.

"Actually, the training of mikos only died out about a hundred and fifty years ago when industrialization began to surface in Japan and men took over the practice of healing," Inuyasha answered staring up at the tree. Kagome stopped her gardening and gazed up at him.

"Inuyasha?" she asked. "Exactly how _old_ are you?"

He looked down at her confused look and gave an amused snort, "Physically, the equivalent of a seventeen-year-old ningen boy. Biologically, a few centuries."

"A few centuries?!" she exclaimed.

He squatted down on all fours next to her and raised his eyebrows, "Got a problem, Kagome?"

"No, I just didn't realize how much older you were," she said returning her attention to the garden. "That's all."

Inuyasha's ears flicked towards the house, "The old man's coming."

"Well, then I better say goodbye and get back to my training, Inuyasha," Kagome looked up and blinked at the now empty spot where the hanyou had been crouching. She straightened up and turned her head towards the trees on the other side of the shrine.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha," she said, a small smile forming on her face.

"Kagome!" her grandpa called from the house.

"I'm by the Goshinboku, Grandpa!" she called back. Her grandpa waddled out of the building towards her. "Um, Grandpa? If I wanted to develop miko powers, is there a way I could train myself?"

"You think you're a miko, Kagome?" her grandpa asked.

"Well, sometimes I can sense when things are near without actually seeing them. But I don't see the person or thing, I see a light," she tried to explain her sensing of Inuyasha last night as best she could without completely divulging that information.

"My granddaughter's a miko!" Grandpa exclaimed. "What are you doing gardening? We must be off to the next town!"

"Next town? But why Grandpa, shouldn't I be taking care of the shrine?" Kagome asked.

"Taking care of the shrine, yes. But today we'll be visiting an old friend of mine who may be willing to help train your miko power," Grandpa explained.

"An old friend?" Kagome asked, but her grandpa was already off and running and dragging her behind.

Ooooo oooooo ooooooo ooooooooo 

Rin awoke with sunlight pouring in through the windows of the grand bedroom. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, her mind began putting the events from the previous night in order. She then remembered who and what brought her here and she bolted out of bed.

She tied the clean yukata that _toad-thing_ had brought her last night tighter and headed towards the window to take in her surroundings. Rin found that there was actually a set of glass doors that opened up onto the balcony of the manor and she quickly let herself out, gasping at the beautiful surroundings of the grounds.

The landscape was lush and green and seemed to set the manor in a place of its own. Rin could see wildlife everywhere and looking over the balcony she could see beautifully crafted gardens that drifted into a fairly deep forest.

"You've awakened," a smooth voice said from beside her. She jumped at her thought's interruption but calmed when she saw it was the _man_ that saved her last night.

"Yes, thank you for allowing me to stay here. But I've been a burden to you long enough. I'll just take a few moments to clean up and I'll be on my way," she said turning to walk back into the bedchamber.

"Rin, don't move," he stated calmly, and although his voice held no edge she knew it was a command. She ceased walking and in a moment felt his body heat radiating off of him right behind her. She closed her eyes and prayed silently for her heart to stop pounding only to have it skip a beat when he leaned down and barely brushed his lips against her ear.

"You will join this Sesshoumaru for breakfast in the study," he stated.

She inhaled sharply before nodding her head in acceptance. And as quickly as he had stepped up behind her, he disappeared off the balcony. Rin let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and walked back into the bedroom. She found a fresh kimono laid out on the bed for her and was grateful considering her clothes had been torn from her encounter last night.

After she changed and freshened up in the bathroom attached to the chambers she opened the door to see the servant from the night before.

"Lord Sesshoumaru's study is _this _way," he snapped. Rin followed not too far behind as they walked down the hallway to a door on the right. The servant opened the door and shooed her inside to find Sesshoumaru already seated at a traditional table by a fire, already set and prepared with a small feast. She knelt down at the table as the servant closed the door.

"Thank you for inviting me to breakfast, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin said quietly, casting her eyes down to her hands folded in her lap. "I can't thank you enough for your help last night and I wish there were some way I could repay you, but it seems you have so much already."

"Stay in the manor, then, with this Sesshoumaru," he said calmly.

She looked up at him with surprise, "Oh, but I couldn't! I've imposed on you too much already. Please, I'll be going shortly after breakfast."

"And what will you be returning to?" he asked coldly.

She blinked at his blunt question. _What _am_ I returning to?_

"Well, I have class at the university. I'm studying anthropology," she answered.

"Could you not attend university while staying here as well?" he asked his face betraying absolutely no emotion.

"Well, yes. But you've already done so much," she began to protest.

Sesshoumaru waved his hand between them, "This Sesshoumaru will not have it. You will stay at the manor _and _go to university. Your company shall be repayment."

"Um, Sesshoumaru-sama, I want to ask you," she began nervously.

"Inu-youkai, Rin," he answered her question before she even had the courage to ask.

"Oh. I would require some things from my apartment then. Some personal effects," she said, continuing the conversation as if nothing had unnerved her.

"I will escort you, then," Sesshoumaru said.

She grinned at him and gave a small laugh, the first smile he had seen from her: the first smile he thought he could die for.

Oooo oooooo oooooo oooooooooo ooooo 

"Grandpa! Where are we going? And... watch out! Kami! Why did Mama let you drive? Eep!" Kagome yelled while holding onto the car for dear life.

"Quiet child! I'm trying to drive! We're going to an old friend's house. Her name is Kaede and she can help you harness your miko powers," Grandpa told her.

About ten more minutes of shrieks from Kagome and swerving by Grandpa they pulled up to a modest sized house on the outskirts of another town. As they got out of the car and made their way towards the house an older woman in miko robes similar to those of Kagome's and gray hair welcomed them.

"Ah, you must be the young child, Kagome. Am I correct?" the woman said.

Kagome noticed she wore an eye patch over her right eye, "Yes, I'm Kagome."

"Yon child _is _a miko. I am Kaede. Also a miko, though mostly a healer," the old woman smiled.

"Can you help me focus my energy, Kaede? I can sense some things, but are their other powers I can develop?" Kagome asked.

"Aye child, and I will help ye do so," Kaede answered. "I can tell ye have tremendous power as ye stand here now."

Kaede began by having Kagome meditate, telling her that all living things have energy or an aura depending on how one looked at it, that if she truly wished she could see the auras surrounding certain animals and even plants.

That spent the rest of the day in the same exercise, and soon Kagome found that she could control what energy she focused on. Kaede even had the chance to show Kagome a few herbs from her garden that could help with some minor cuts or bruises.

The afternoon was quickly fading away and Kagome realized that she needed to get back to the shrine soon for Inuyasha.

"Kaede, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. May I come back and visit next Saturday?" Kagome asked. Getting Kaede away from Grandpa she added, "It'll get me out of sweeping the shrine steps again!"

"Of course, child. Feel free to visit this old lady anytime ye feel like it. It gets a bit lonely out here all by myself. Now take care of thyself," Kaede said ushering them out of her home.

Kagome waved to Kaede as she got into the car with her grandfather.

"There is definitely something different about that child," the older woman said to herself as she watched them pull away.

Ooooo ooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo 

Rin found herself packing only two bags to head back to the manor when she got to her apartment. She didn't stop to think how she would get to her small apartment and began to scream when Sesshoumaru just gathered her up in his arms bridal style and took off in the direction of the park.

_She shrieked as he flew over the city, wrapping her arms tightly around Sesshoumaru's neck and burying her face into his silver hair. She felt him tighten his arms around her and was able to open her eyes to see the city passing below. She gave him minor directions and soon they landed in front of her building. _

"_Do you travel everywhere that way?" Rin asked trying desperately to straighten her hair that had been blown everywhere by the wind. _

"_This Sesshoumaru does not leave the manor often," he answered stoically. _

_She looked at him almost sadly, "Doesn't it get lonely?"_

"_There is Jaken most times, and my half-breed brother," he answered. _

"_Well now I'll be there, too," she said smiling up at him turning to bound into the building. _

She walked back into her small living room to find him just standing by the door.

"Well, I just need to grab my school books and I'll be ready to go," she said moving towards him. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"Will I be staying in your room?" she asked quietly.

"You will have your very own room at the manor, Rin," he said picking up her bags.

"Oh," she responded picking up her books from a nearby coffee table. "Okay, ready!"

She moved towards the door where he stood holding her bags and she noticed he had been watching her move throughout the apartment. "Is there something wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"No, Rin. We'll return to the manor," he turned to leave.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she said grabbing the sleeve of his haori causing him to turn back towards her, "I don't know how to thank you for the kindness you've shown me, but... well I can try... I mean I can show you." She stood on her tiptoes and placed a small kiss on his cheek before sweeping passed him and out of the building.

Sesshoumaru stood there, not knowing exactly the right reaction to her small display. She was only a human, but yet, there was something about this woman that made him feel, less like a youkai lord and more like an equal. He followed after her and lifted her easily into his arms again, her clutching her books, and he carrying her bags as effortlessly as he carried her. They headed back to the manor and Sesshoumaru did not miss the sudden blush that stained Rin's cheeks.

Ooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooo ooooooo 

Kagome and Grandpa got back to the shrine in the late afternoon to be greeted by an over-energetic Souta and a happy Mama. Kagome wanted nothing more than to go take a nice hot bath and top it off with a nap. Her training had really taken a lot of her energy and she was close to exhaustion.

She told Mama she'd heat something up later for dinner and headed off to the bathroom, once again stripping out of her miko-in-training robes completely exhausted from the day's activities. She had just sunk beneath the water when she remembered Inuyasha would be there for her at sundown!

She scrambled out of the bathtub and wrapping a towel around her ran into her room to pull out some clothes. She settled on a navy blue skirt, a little shorter than her school uniform, and a light yellow sweater. Once dressed she brushed her hair out and lay down on her bed and began to concentrate her miko energy. She tried to focus on Inuyasha like she had done the night before and not too long after she began she could sense him nearing the shrine.

Kagome sat up right as Inuyasha came through the window. He spotted her on the bed and smirked at her.

"You're here," she said.

"I told you I would come for you, Kagome," he reassured her. He turned around and bent down as though he were going to give her a piggyback ride. "Get on."

"What do you mean? 'Get on'?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm going to take you somewhere, but I can't really be seen on the streets that much, so I'll take you there faster if you climb on," he explained, sighing as though he were trying to tolerate her questions.

"Oh," she said, hesitance still clouding her eyes.

Inuyasha straightened up and offered her his hand, "Trust me, Kagome. I want to take you somewhere that I know you'll like."

She took his hand, "Okay." She climbed onto his back, clutching her knees to his sides as he placed his hands on her thighs. She started at the contact and clutched his haori in both fists at his shoulders.

"Trust me, Kagome?" he almost pleaded. When she gave her nod he leapt out the window with the young miko and disappeared into the forest next to the shrine.

Oooo oooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo 

Okay! So there's Ch. 4 for Assassin's Hope. I was gonna dish out another Chapter for Agent Under Fire today, but maybe I'll work on that tomorrow. Anywho, I find out about a job tomorrow... so everyone pray to his or her favorite deity or cross his or her fingers... or sleep with pj's inside out and backwards... wait... that's for snow! Anyways, just hope that I get the job cause I really want this one and it'll leave plenty of time for me to continue writing so no worries. Well... let me know what you think of the chapter! B.I.G.

Oh and P.S. There really isn't a relationship between Sess and Rin right now... when she wants to 'show' him her thank you she doesn't mean... "let's jump into bed" because as well all know Sess really is a cold-hearted bastard at most times and doesn't really know what he's feeling right now. So, no worries... Sess isn't _that _OOC. So just hold on tight and watch where it goes!


	5. Chapter 5

Assassin's Hope

A/N: Yikes! It's been a long time since I've sat down to write. Well, as some of you are guessing... I GOT THE JOB!!! Woot! So for the past month or so I've been moving into a new apartment and settling into the swing of things. And now that I've got the job down I decided I owed you all an update... a very, very, very overdue update. I'm sorry! Please don't throw things at me! Rejoice and be glad! Because it's the Millennium Anniversary of Leif Erickson's discovery of America!!! Uhhh, or just be happy that it's a new chapter for ya! : ) Ok... enjoy and review!

**Warning! Lime Content in this chapter!!**

**Chapter 5**

As Inuyasha soared over the rooftops of the city Kagome closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of flying. She loosened her grip on his haori and moved to loop her arms around his neck, nestling her head in between his shoulder blades, and sighing. Inuyasha automatically tightened his grip on her thighs and a small smile could be seen on the hanyou's face.

It didn't take long for him to reach a heavily wooded area he knew well and he landed skillfully amongst a clearing of trees.

"We're here, Kagome," he said softly. Kagome gently got down from his back and gasped when she saw where he had taken her. The clearing was absolutely breathtaking in the soft moonlight. The trees, although not as old as the Goshinboku, were indeed tall and looked as if they had a story of their own. At the base of several of the trees were bunches of wild flowers bursting sporadically from the ground. The flowers followed an unseen path down to the edge of a small spring of water, filled from a stream that led off into the woods. The spring was a clear blue that sparkled with diamonds in the light from the moon, and clean water fell over a few rocks to form a small waterfall.

"Inuyasha! It's beautiful here!" she exclaimed in a whisper. She felt that speaking loudly would somehow break the magic of the clearing.

"I thought you'd like it," he said with a confident smirk.

She turned to smile at him, but caught a glance at the woods beyond the clearing over his shoulder. The trees behind her hanyou were decimated beyond the chance of re-growth. They almost look like they had been destroyed by a tornado or a harsh storm but some trees looked as though they had been clawed.

_Clawed?_ Kagome questioned in her mind and looked down at Inuyasha's hand. He caught the emotions that danced in her eyes and her glance down at his claws, and unconsciously fisted his hand.

Kagome reached her hand out to him and took his hand gently in between her two.

"Did you do this Inuyasha?" she asked tentatively looking up into his eyes, pain clearly written in hers.

Inuyasha grunted and looked away from her gaze, "Yeah, why should I give a damn?"

"Did it hurt you?" she asked in a small voice.

He looked back at her shocked, "What do you mean 'did it hurt me?' I'm half-demon, we don't feel pain!"

"Don't kid yourself," she said looking at him sympathetically, "For whatever reason you did this, it must have hurt you deeply for you to do this much damage."

"Feh!" was his only response as he pulled his hand from her grip and crossed his arms over his chest. He walked down to the edge of the spring and sat down crossing his legs underneath him. Inuyasha was surprised when her arms crossed over his chest and she embraced him from behind.

"What are you doing?" he asked her in a choked voice.

"Inuyasha, I understand," she whispered to him. "You don't want to tell me right now and I respect that. Just know that when you want to open up I'll be here for you."

He had no words for her; he just reached up and covered one of her hands with his own.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked a little too gruffly then he had intended.

"For letting me see this place. It's beautiful here," she reflected.

He turned his face towards her, "Then let me show you something even better."

He stood up quickly and without waiting for her to climb on he swept her up bridal style and took to the air once more, eliciting a squeal of surprise from the young miko. Kagome linked her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck, brushing her lips against his pulse point and causing Inuyasha to blush a red that challenged his haori.

He landed deftly on a branch in a tall tree and set her down lightly in front of him. She opened her eyes, not expecting to be that high off the ground and clutched the front of his haori tightly and burying her face into his chest.

"Calm down, Kagome. I won't let you fall," he said wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. "Trust me."

She looked up at him. "I will always trust you, Inuyasha," she said softly and watched his over-confident smirk fade a bit.

Her eyes were honest, her aura pure, and Inuyasha knew she had spoken truthfully to him.

"Kagome," he said softly before leaning down and claiming her lips in a small kiss.

Her eyes were bright when he pulled away, "You're welcome."

"I didn't say 'thank you'," he protested.

"Yes you did. Just in your own way," she laughed lightly and finally turned to see where they were. The view before her took her breath away. They were high above the city, somewhere up on the mountain she guessed, and were overlooking the lights and buzz of the people going to and fro.

"It's so beautiful from up here. You never get to see it this way when you actually live down there," she said. Inuyasha sighed behind her and pulled her down to sit in his lap atop the branch.

She flushed slightly but didn't lose her composure, "Do you sit up here often, Inuyasha?"

"Most nights actually," he said, his voice distant as if he were remembering long ago, "when I get sick of staying in the manor."

"Manor?" Kagome asked, turning her head slightly to look at him. "Where your brother lives as well?"

"Yes, with my asshole brother," he answered, venom clear in his voice. "And his stupid servants. But I'd rather be out here, my mother..." Inuyasha stopped his train of thought suddenly.

Kagome didn't miss the sadness that had crept into his voice briefly, "Go on, Inuyasha. You can tell me. Trust me this time."

He looked at her, his eyes clearing slightly and gave her a soft smile before kissing her temple, "My mother used to take me to the spring, back when there was only a small village here. We didn't live in the village itself because the villagers did not take kindly to half-demons. So my father built an annex attached to the manor, separate for my mother and myself, apart from the assassins in training."

"You never went to the village? Never played with any children your own age?" Kagome asked. She sensed Inuyasha shaking his head.

"No. Children were mean, but their parents were meaner and would chase me away back to the annex," Kagome could definitely hear the sorrow in his voice now as he was remembering his childhood.

"My mother would take me to the clearing to play," he continued, "And when she died... I..." he trailed off.

"You destroyed part of it?" she asked, turning partially around in his lap so she could look at him clearly.

He nodded and looked down, unable to look her in the face. She hooked a finger underneath his chin and forced him to look at her. "Please don't be ashamed, Inuyasha. You lost someone so dear to you. I bet she was beautiful and kind-hearted and loved you with every ounce of her being. When you lose someone like that it's okay to be angry."

"You don't understand, Kagome!" he cried frustrated. "She died saving me. I was too weak to help her! I was just a runt and I couldn't stand to fight! So that's why I trained to be an assassin as well to fight back against the humanity that killed her!"

Kagome showed worry but was not scared of his outburst, "You're right," she said finally. "I don't understand how you feel. But I can understand what it's like to lose a parent. I lost my father not too long ago, and it hurts. Probably will always hurt. And I was angry, too. But I couldn't let that consume me. Please don't let it consume you. Don't let hate be the emotion you feel the most!" Her eyes were pleading while his still showed anger.

"I don't know what else to feel, Kagome!" he growled at her.

"Then let me help you!" she cried before crashing her lips onto his, forcing him to feel something other than anger. If not love then something close to it. She opened her mouth to him and he explored her taste, her feel with a new hunger. She could sense his anger ebb away from him almost immediately. His hands that had been balled into fists snaked around her waist pulling her closer to him possessively.

Her own hands moved to pull his haori and inner kimono open slightly so that she could feel his smooth skin against the palm of her hands. She let her fingers move over the smooth muscles of his chest to the hardened muscles of his stomach. She ran her hands around his sides moving towards his back when he gave out a chuckle and broke the kiss.

"That tickles, Kagome," he said huskily.

She blushed prettily, "I wanted to feel more of you. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. I'll just have to show you what it felt like," he said with a devious smirk and a glint in his eye Kagome could not place.

Inuyasha lifted the hem of her sweater so her side was slightly exposed and began running his claws gently up and down her skin. Kagome began to giggle, "Inuyasha, stop. That tickles!"

She threw her head back and began laughing a full raucous laugh and Inuyasha leaned down and began kissing her newly exposed neck. He kept tickling her side, being mindful of his sharp claws, and began moving his hand from her stomach to her side and then to her back. Kagome was laughing, enjoying the sensations Inuyasha was causing her to feel, when her breath caught in her throat and a throaty moan escaped her lips.

After tickling her enough, Inuyasha had moved the palm of his hand to cover her right breast and had begun to gently knead it, while he continued to kiss her neck, occasionally giving her a little nip and then soothing the mark with his tongue.

When Kagome moaned she noticed Inuyasha's ears perk forward, trying to catch every sound she made. She reached her left hand up behind Inuyasha's head and began rubbing one of the triangular appendages, starting gently at the base and then working her way up to the furry little tip. At first she thought she'd get no reaction out of him, but she soon felt a deep vibration moving through her body and realized it was coming from Inuyasha.

_He's purring!_ She thought with a small smile. She was brought out of her thoughts when Inuyasha began kneading her breast more intensely and she could feel him grazing a fang against her throat. She felt a small burst of heat flood the pit of her stomach at the sensations. Her change of scent was not lost on the young hanyou. He raised his head to look at her, noticing she was flushed and her eyes were glazed over with pleasure.

"Kagome," he near moaned, allowing his eyes to fall half-closed. His own eyes, she noticed, were a molten color of gold, and had an intensity shining behind them.

"Inuyasha? Do you feel that?" she whispered.

"Feel what, Kagome?" he asked her, using every ounce of his self-control not to take her right then.

She closed her eyes briefly, just feeling him, "That ache?"

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut trying to suppress his demon side from taking over. When he finally had some control he opened his eyes to look at her. In the moonlight he could see her skin was flushed and slightly damp and her breathing had become shallow.

"What ache, Kagome?" he asked, his voice heavy with want.

Kagome reached up to take his hand covering her breast. He noticed her hand trembled slightly as she moved it lower on her body, guiding it underneath her skirt and resting it on the juncture in between her legs.

Inuyasha shivered. Only a thin piece of cloth lay between his hand and her womanhood and Inuyasha felt his youki spike.

Kagome saw his golden eyes flash a crimson red for only a second before she whispered, "Help take the ache away, Inuyasha."

"Oh Gods, Kagome!" he ground out through gritted teeth. Those few words had served to make him harder than he had been in his entire life. He was breathing heavily and he was sure his face was as flushed as the young miko that lay in his arms. He took a deep breath and looked at her seriously. "I told you I would give you two weeks to decide."

"And two weeks it will be. I'm not telling you to take my virginity, Inuyasha. I'm asking you to touch me. Please Inuyasha. Don't make me beg," she said through half-lidded eyes.

He nodded once, picked her up again, leapt off the branch and took her back to the clearing. He lay her down on the grass by the spring gently and continued his earlier assault on her neck, nipping and licking her gently, while his hand began kneading the breast that had been neglected earlier.

Kagome reached both hands up this time and began caressing his ears, remembering the reaction she had gotten earlier from him. The vibrations began in his chest again and sent shivers up Kagome's spine, only to shoot back down to the pit of her stomach forming that familiar pool of warmth again.

Inuyasha inhaled deeply as the scent of her arousal hit him full on. He began to kiss up her jaw line until he found her lips, already swollen from her excitement. He nipped her lower lip gently asking for entrance and when she opened to him he delved his tongue in to taste her as his hand found the waistband of her panties. She rubbed his ears a little more enthusiastically and pushed her hips up slightly to encourage him to go on, while making a slight mewling noise in the back of her throat.

He cupped her heat gently before parting her womanhood and exploring her depths with a probing digit. He found the prized bundle of nerves nestled in her curls quickly and felt her gasp in his mouth when he caressed it gently. He smirked against her lips.

_Oh I'll help my bitch relieve her ache,_ he thought possessively. She arched against him as he applied a little more pressure to her precious jewel, breaking their kiss and moaning his name brokenly. _Only she's not a bitch, Inuyasha,_ his mind berated. _She is your hope. Your Kagome. Listen to her moan for your touch, moan for you. _

"My Kagome," he whispered before recapturing her lips in a heated kiss. Kagome, nearly drowned in the heated passion he was creating for her, almost missed his words whispered in the moment before he began drowning her again with his kisses.

Her mind was screaming that she was no one's property. That she was her own person. And yet, her body was telling her otherwise, reacting to Inuyasha's touch instinctively. She knew what he spoke was true. He began trailing kisses down her neck to her collarbone when she spoke in a husky voice.

"Yours, always," she said in a voice too heavy to be her own although it came from her throat. Inuyasha froze where he was, causing Kagome to cry out in frustration. "Please don't stop, Inuyasha! Onegai!"

"I'm sorry, Kagome. But... do you mean it? Mine always?" he asked her, desperation seeping into his voice.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, and for once that night she saw someone else in Inuyasha. She saw a lonely, scared boy staring back at her hoping to be wanted, to be accepted, waiting to be told that he will always be needed. She didn't see the cold, murderous stare of an assassin. He was open to her, vulnerable, now all she needed to do was be open for him.

She leaned up and kissed him gently before touching her forehead to his, "Forever, Inuyasha." He kissed her, then, pouring everything he had into that kiss, and Kagome realized he did indeed know how to feel other emotions he just refused to show them. Her body continued to ache and she reached down to cover his hand with her own urging him to continue his sweet touches. He gave no protest and began caressing her once more, intermingling her fingers with his own. He felt himself harden even more when she helped please herself with him and he knew he would be sharing this level of intimacy with her.

Inuyasha began rubbing her faster as his own excitement increased and as she broke their kiss once more to cry out into the night he joined her in ecstasy. He waited for her to ride the rest of her orgasm out, gently licking her essence from his own fingers first and then gently raising her own hand to his lips and licking her clean. He was brought back to reality by her soft giggles.

"What's so funny, bitch?" he said defensively.

She looked up at him with complete trust, "You're tickling me again!"

He smirked down at her, "Oh, I can do a lot better at tickling you than that!"

He flexed his claws for her and she feigned fear for him right before she broke out into giggles from his "attack."

"Inuyasha!" she giggled, "Stop! I can't breath!"

He laughed at her, "Do you yield?"

"Never!" she cried before giggling again. Inuyasha continued his assault until she hiccupped. "Okay! Okay, I yield."

Inuyasha stopped tickling her and placed a soft kiss on her lips, "You're beautiful, Kagome."

She blushed slightly, even after they had been so intimate, "Thank you, Inuyasha."

A thought suddenly dawned on Kagome, "Inuyasha? You were so selfless and made me feel... well, things I've never felt before. Can't I do anything to make it up to you?"

"Stupid girl, you've already done things to me," he answered quietly, blushing a little.

"I don't understand," she said. He took her hand gently and in a similar fashion that she had done earlier he placed her palm in his lap. She felt a slight bulge and the dampness of his hakama. Her mouth formed a small 'oh' and then she smiled.

"Well, now I know what I do to you," she said reaching up to playfully tug a forelock of his hair.

He snorted, "That ain't the half of it, woman."

He leaned back on the grass next to her, placing a hand behind his head and looking up at the sky. Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed in contentment before turning her gaze heavenly as well. She was suddenly reminded of a story, or a play, or _something_ she had to read for an English class once. Something about lovers from two different worlds, forced to meet each other in secret, keep their love silent, only to end in tragedy and the death of the two lovers. Kagome frowned at the thought. _That won't be our end. We'll find a way to be together. And this won't be secret. He's meeting my family and friends. He promised. _

"Inuyasha?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he responded, sounding close to a light slumber.

"When can you meet my friends? The ones from the party?" she asked softly expecting him to get defensive.

She saw him open his eyes and search the sky, looking for something. He sat up, searching the skyline until he was satisfied with what he saw. She sat up as well looking for what he had found and saw the moon, just a small sliver that night.

"In two days time, I will meet your friends," he turned to her with a small smile set on his face. His smile faded as his face took on a serious tone, "But I can only meet them after sunset of that day."

"After sunset? But why?" she asked, clearly confused by his actions.

He looked down for a few minutes before looking up at her again, a smirk replacing the smile on his features, "It's a surprise. I'll come to you before sunset in two days and we'll wait for sunset before meeting your friends. That way it will just be a surprise for you."

He leaned over and kissed her again before helping her stand up and brush off small pieces of grass. He turned around and bent down again calling over his shoulder, "Come on, I'll take you home. I think we've had enough excitement for one night."

His comment made her blush a bright red before she climbed onto his back. He squeezed her thighs and pulled her flush against him so that her heat pressed against the small of his back. He took off into the air to the sound of her gasp again, only this time it was from the surprise of friction he was creating for her. With every leap she was coming closer and closer to another orgasm and he smirked the entire way back to the temple. Just before they reached her home she gripped his haori hard and muffled a cry into the rough fabric.

He landed gently on her windowsill and climbed into her room letting her down gently. She found that her legs had become like rubber during the ride and he had to carry her over to her bed and lay her down for the night. He helped remove her shoes and covered her with a blanket before kissing her goodnight.

She grabbed his hand before he pulled away, "Goodnight, my hanyou."

He knelt down next to her bed and smoothed her bangs from her forehead, "Goodnight, my Kagome. I will come to you tomorrow night."

She watched him disappear through the window and into the night. Kagome slowly sat up in bed bringing her knees up to rest her chin on them. She had never been like that with a boy, so what possessed her to act so brash tonight?

_Because you wanted him to touch you, _her mind responded. _You want him to know you will choose him when your time is up._

"Would I choose him?" Kagome asked herself aloud and then laughed softly. "Of course I would. It's ridiculous to think, oh Kami, to even say, but," she stood moving over towards the window and looking out upon the deepening night, "But, I think I'm in love with him."

_I'm talking to myself,_ she thought. _Who am I kidding? He just needs to un-purify me. That's all._

"Inu-youkai mate for life," she whispered to the empty room. With that thought Kagome changed and got into bed. It had been a long night and she groaned thinking about having to go to school in the morning. After the weekend she had she was in no mood to sit through classes. Her thoughts moved away from class work and towards her training with Kaede. Maybe it was pointless training her miko skills if she would be losing them in a few weeks. She shook her head. No, Kaede's training would never be pointless. Maybe she would be able to help Inuyasha in some way.

"Inuyasha," she whispered softly. He was the last thing she thought of before sleep claimed her.

---------- --------- ---------- ----------- ------------ --------

A/N: Okay! So I know it's really short. But I had to go somewhere with this and a lot of people want to see Inu and Kag get together but I don't want a lemon right away. So here's some limey goodness. Lime is still good right? Okay so really please don't hate me : ( I'm trying my best getting updates up. AUF is still under construction but I wanted to get something up for all of you who have patiently been waiting. I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

Assassin's Hope

Chapter 6

A/N: Yikes! It's been a long time since I've updated! So I'm back! Even lots of work cannot keep me away from the word processor. Although my neighbor banging around upstairs might keep my sanity away. It's like living under an elephant! AN ELEPHANT HAVING SEX! The guy can't get that much booty can he! deep breath sorry.. needed that little rant for a moment. Anywho. Chapter 6 away we go!

Chapter 6

Inuyasha arrived back at the manor shortly after leaving the shrine. As he walked the familiar path through the property to his private annex he smelled an unfamiliar scent coming from a guest bedchamber.

_It smells ningen_, he thought. _But Sesshoumaru would not allow a ningen near the manor._

Inuyasha stepped closer to the bedchamber door and inhaled slowly.

"It's a woman!" he exclaimed.

"Step away from the door, half-breed," Sesshoumaru's voice warned.

Inuyasha whirled around to glare at his brother, "Sesshoumaru what is a woman doing in the manor?"

"This is not your concern," Sesshoumaru answered coldly.

"She's _human_ you bastard! What do you have planned for her? You're not going to kill her are you? Is she a miko?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Stay your tongue, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru retorted coldly, moving to brush passed the young hanyou.

"I have a right to know if you plan on killing a miko on father's lands!" Inuyasha spat out, refusing to let his brother pass.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" a small voice called a few feet from behind Inuyasha.

Inuyasha spun around to see a young woman standing in the open doorway of the bedchamber. She glimpsed the hanyou and gasped softly.

"I'm sorry. I heard voices arguing," she said lowering her head. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"You may go back in your room, Rin. Inuyasha has only forgotten his place again," Sesshoumaru responded casting a look of disdain Inuyasha's way.

"Inuyasha? Oh! Your Sesshoumaru-sama's brother!" the young woman looked up with a smile. "My name's Rin."

She extended her hand in Inuyasha's direction. Inuyasha could only gape at her for a few seconds before recovering, "Keh. Half-brother." He did not shake her hand but opted instead for thrusting his hands into the sleeves of his haori.

Rin looked slightly dejected before turning to Sesshoumaru, "May I take a bath?"

"This Sesshoumaru will have a bath drawn for you shortly. Jaken will retrieve you," he stated softly, causing Inuyasha to narrow his eyes at his older brother.

"Okay, um, nice meeting you Inuyasha-sama," Rin said with a small smile, turned and closed the door.

Inuyasha turned disbelieving eyes on the daiyoukai, "You fucking hypocrite!"

"Enough Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru bit out. He was careful not to raise his voice to alarm Rin again.

"You hate humans! Why would you keep one here?" Inuyasha demanded.

"This Sesshoumaru answers to no one, especially not a worthless hanyou," he responded icily and pushed his way passed Inuyasha.

"How long is she staying?" Inuyasha directed towards his back.

"As long as this Sesshoumaru allows," was the answer before disappearing down the hallway.

_What the hell is going on?_ Inuyasha thought. _Sesshoumaru hates humans! Why would he have a human stay in the manor? And a woman one at that?_

Inuyasha shook his head and began walking to the annex. He lay down his katana next to his futon before laying down himself and stared up at the ceiling. The human woman staying in the manor reminded him slightly of the young woman he just left. The young woman he could still smell on his fire rat robe. The one he could still taste on his lips.

Inuyasha fell into a fitful slumber thinking of his sweet Kagome.

* * *

"Kagome! You'll be late for school!" Souta called through her door.

Kagome groaned and rolled over, "School."

_I will come to you tomorrow night, _Inuyasha's words echoed in her mind. She sat up smiling, suddenly energized enough to get the day started. After all, the sooner the day began, the sooner it would end and she'd be able to meet Inuyasha again.

She showered and dressed in her uniform in record time and dashed downstairs passed the kitchen.

"Bye Mama! Bye Grandpa! Bye Souta!" she called while dashing out the door.

"Kagome! Your…" her mother called, "lunch. I swear she'd forget her head sometimes."

"She's just excited about her priestess training," Grandpa said from behind.

"Yeah, Grandpa. I'm _sure _that's it," Souta said rolling his eyes as he began his own walk to school.

Kagome couldn't wait to meet her friends at school and make plans. Yuka was the first one she saw in the school courtyard a few minutes later.

"Yuka!" she called waving her hand high over her head.

"Oh, hi Kagome. Wow! You're actually early today," Yuka commented after glancing at her watch.

"I'm not _always_ late," Kagome said frowning slightly.

"Did I just hear that right?" Eri asked, walking up behind the two with Ayume. "Did Kagome just say she's not always late?"

"Oh come on you two," Ayume sighed. "Give Kagome a break, she's probably had an exhausting weekend."

"Thanks Ayume," Kagome smiled. "Actually, I'm glad all three of you are here. What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Well, it's a school night, Kagome. We'll probably be at home," Eri said.

"Speak for yourself," Yuka reacted, sticking her nose up in the air.

"Why Kagome?" Ayume asked.

"Well, I'd like you three to meet my… er, friend," Kagome said blushing slightly and finding the ground of great interest.

"A friend?" Yuka asked instantly intrigued.

"Yes. He's really special to me, and I'd like for you to meet him," Kagome answered slowly. "Actually, he's the one that wants to meet all of you."

"What's his name?" Ayume asked.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said slowly.

"How come we've never heard about him before?" Yuka asked incredulously. "He wasn't even at your party."

"Well, we've just met really. When I told him about my friends from school he said he'd like to meet all of you," she answered.

"How sweet," Ayume beamed. "Where did you meet him?"

"He saved Grandpa from getting hit by a car a few nights ago. He's kind and strong, modest and… well different," Kagome said quietly.

"He saved your Grandpa? Wow! Sounds like you're really hung up on this guy," Eri said.

"What about Houjou?" Yuka asked eyebrows raised. "You don't have time for him but you have time for this Inuyasha guy?"

Kagome frowned at Yuka's question, "He's helping me with my priestess training. That's how I can spend time with him."

Yuka shook her head, "Let me get this straight. This guy saves your grandpa from getting hurt OUT OF THE BLUE, and now… _now_ he's helping you train to be a priestess?"

"He's the one that helped me realize I was a priestess," Kagome said defensively. "It was a coincidence I guess, our meeting."

"Yuka that's enough. Kagome's friend just wants to meet us. After all, he _is _just a friend," Eri intervened. "And Kagome said she'd go out with Houjou after her training."

"I did?" Kagome asked her eyes widening.

"Sure you did, Houjou's a great guy!" Ayume added.

"So when do we meet this guy?" Yuka asked frowning just slightly now.

"Tomorrow night, if you all are free that is? We can all go for ice cream or something," Kagome said lightly.

"That sounds great!" Ayume said smiling. "How about 8 o'clock?"

"Great Ayume, thanks," Kagome sighed with a bit of relief. "Can we all go to class now?"

"Higurashi!"

Kagome groaned, "Not Houjou?"

"Oh, it's Houjou alright," Yuka grinned.

"Hey Kagome!" the young man said cheerfully as he jogged up to the group of girls.

"Hi Houjou," Kagome said plastering on a smile.

"Houjou you're just in time! Kagome was just inviting us all out tomorrow night to meet a friend of hers. Wanna join?" Yuka asked.

Kagome shot her a glare before looking at Houjou for his reaction. He frowned slightly, "What about your training? Won't you be exhausted?"

"Oh I'm sure Grandpa won't mind one night with my friends," Kagome answered.

"Who's this friend of yours?" Houjou asked innocently.

"He saved Kagome's grandfather from getting hit by a car!" Ayume said enthusiastically.

Houjou's eyes widened, "I had no idea Higurashi-sama was almost in an accident!"

"It was late one night, he was out for a walk, it just happened. But Inuyasha was able to help him," Kagome said quietly.

"Inuyasha? He's the one you want us to meet?" Houjou asked.

"Kagome speaks so highly of this Inuyasha guy. She thinks he's kind, modest, and strong," Yuka chimed in. "Of course she'd want us to meet someone so close to her!"

"If you're free tomorrow night," Kagome began, "I'm sure you have something better to do with your time. After all it _is_ a school night."

"Don't be ridiculous, Higurashi," Houjou said waving his hand in her direction, "I must shake the hand of the man that has touched you in such a way."

Kagome's cheeks warmed at Houjou's innocent statement. _You have no idea!_

"Great Houjou, we'll see you tomorrow night at eight. That new ice cream shop around the corner from the shrine just opened up and should be a great place to go," Eri said brightly.

"I'll see you then girls," Houjou said as he jogged off.

Kagome sighed and turned to go into school. _Great! I'm sure Inuyasha could have handled the girls, but what about Houjou?_

"Worried about what Inuyasha will think about Houjou?" Yuka asked slyly.

Kagome stiffened a bit, "Why are you being like this, Yuka?"

Yuka frowned, "Houjou's an older guy and he wants _you_. What do you do? You break his heart! And now there's another guy?"

"Houjou's heart looked fully intact, Yuka," Kagome answered. "If you really like him why don't you ask him out tomorrow night?"

Yuka sputtered and headed down the hall to her locker. Kagome shook her head and headed off to her own classes.

* * *

Inuyasha had been awake for hours and training in the dojo. It was the only way he could get his mind off of Kagome.

He had opened his eyes a little before dawn; his body fully regenerated after only a few hours of sleep and his mind had already wandered back to the young miko. _I can't wait to see her tonight. What is this? It's almost painful to be away from her._

His thought process was interrupted by another female's scent drifting in from the corridor. He sheathed the Tetsusaiga and exited the dojo.

"Woman," Inuyasha called harshly.

Rin turned slowly, "I'm sorry Inuyasha-sama did I disturb you? I was just on my way to class at the university."

"Inuyasha," he ground out.

"I'm sorry?" Rin asked taking a small step forward.

"You can call me Inuyasha. Drop the 'sama' that shit's for my brother," he scowled.

"Oh," Rin answered in a small voice. "Well, I guess I'll be going."

"Why are you staying here?" Inuyasha asked sharply. His almost hissed question caused Rin to jump slightly and step back.

"Sesshoumaru-sama has asked me to stay. I was… hurt in the park. He saved me," she finished almost whispering.

"Sesshoumaru saved you?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Yes," Rin said, her eyes never wavering. "He protected me and brought me here. The least I can do is stay here to keep him company."

"Company? Like he needs a human around for company!" Inuyasha scoffed.

"He told me I could stay here!" Rin said defensively, "And I guess, well, I like being wanted."

Guilt swept over Inuyasha when he saw the woman on the verge of tears, "Fine, you can stay here. If only to be a distraction to my brother, I'm tired of him being up my ass constantly."

Rin stiffened a bit at his vulgar language but breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you Inuyasha-sa… Inuyasha."

"Keh!" Inuyasha retorted and stalked in the opposite direction of the young woman.

_Stupid bastard is going soft for a woman,_ he thought.

"It seems we have more in common than I ever thought," Inuyasha mumbled making his way to the great hall.

Entering into the enormous room, Inuyasha spotted his brother lighting incense in homage to their father in the small area of remembrance set up on the far right wall of the great hall.

"Why do you pay him respect when he's clearly dead?" Inuyasha growled.

"Because he deserves it halfling," Sesshoumaru answered evenly.

"Why keep the woman around?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Why keep your miko around?" Sesshoumaru countered.

Inuyasha growled, "She said you saved her. Why?"

"I was simply testing the Tenseiga to see if the flea had been correct. She was convenient," Sesshoumaru answered, still keeping his back to the hanyou.

"She's convenient enough to keep around here that's for sure," Inuyasha grumbled.

"I wish to see Tenseiga's full power," Sesshoumaru said stoically.

"Whatever. Does she know what you really are?" Inuyasha asked.

"She knows what I allow her to know," was the response.

"How do you expect to keep her in the dark? She's not stupid you know if she's going to the university. She'll figure out what the fuck is going on here, and then what do you think she'll do? She'll run screaming from the monster you are!" Inuyasha yelled.

Sesshoumaru moved faster than Inuyasha had anticipated and had him pinned by the throat against the wall, "You will stay your tongue half-breed!"

Releasing Inuyasha so he hit the floor _hard_, Sesshoumaru began walking away.

"You know I'm right! Are you threatening her to keep her here?"

"The onna stays of her own accord," Sesshoumaru answered taking leave to his own quarters.

Inuyasha picked himself up off the floor and called out to his brother's retreating form, "The shikaku are over by allowing your woman sanctuary here! Would you sacrifice the prophecy for her?"

"Is that not what you do with your miko, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru called back.

"Damn him!" Inuyasha cursed as he burst through the doors into the corridor. "I don't sacrifice the prophecy! I'm trying to stop it! I don't invite Kagome in here willingly!"

_But you did tell her everything,_ his mind lectured.

"That's different! She needed to know, to help me!" Inuyasha answered aloud.

_Maybe your brother needs help too._

"That's bullshit!" Inuyasha spat as he entered the annex. "I need to get out."

Inuyasha jumped from his window and headed in the direction of the shrine with one thought, _Kagome._

* * *

_Will the chimes just ring already?_

Kagome sat in math class willing the clock to go faster. Finally, the day was over and she could escape school for one more day!

She ran to her locker and stowed her books quickly and hoped to make an escape before she saw any of her friends. Kagome successfully made it out of the school courtyard and halfway down the road when someone grabbed her from behind and suddenly the ground was growing farther away.

"Don't scream, Kagome," the soft whisper tickled her ear. She relaxed slightly in his strong arms.

"Inuyasha!" she gasped as they landed on a roof of a building not far from school. When he let her down she spun in his arms poking a finger at his chest. "What do you think you're doing! You scared me half to death!"

Inuyasha smirked down at the irate woman in his arms, "I won't let you fall."

His husky statement took some of the air out of her sails, "Why are you here anyway? You said you'd come by tonight."

Inuyasha's smirk faded a bit, "I needed to see you."

Kagome smiled warmly and placed her hand on his cheek, "Inuyasha, what happened?"

"Keh! My brother's being a bastard. Leave it at that," he ground out.

"Well, I was going to head to Kaede's this afternoon," Kagome said thoughtfully.

Inuyasha frowned slightly, "Who's this Kaede?"

"She's a friend of my grandpa's and she's helping train me to be the shrine's priestess. I told her I'd come this Saturday but I'd like to visit today," she explained.

"Would you like me to take you to her?" he asked hesitantly.

"I would like that very much, Inuyasha. Kaede would probably like to meet you," Kagome said shyly.

Inuyasha bent down to help Kagome onto his back and took off in the direction she pointed. Kagome was amazed at how quickly the city flew by below them. Before she realized it Inuyasha had landed softly on the ground just outside the city limits.

"How far wench?" he asked over his shoulder. Kagome gave him directions and they landed outside Kaede's house only a few moments later. Before Kagome had made it halfway up the path Kaede stepped out of the house.

"I expected ye, young Kagome," Kaede said with a gentle smile. Her expression faltered a bit after noticing Inuyasha a few steps behind the young miko.

"Kaede, this is Inuyasha," Kagome began slowly.

"Hurry children! Inside!" Kaede shooed the two into her house. "Has anyone seen ye?"

"No, I don't think so," Kagome frowned slightly. "Kaede what's going on?"

The old woman hurried to shut and bolt the door, "Hush child, until I can make sure no one can hear." Kaede made her way through the house closing windows where she could and pulling down shades. When she turned back to Kagome and Inuyasha she let out a small sigh of relief.

"Now child, tell this old woman why you've brought me the son of the Inu no Taisho, an assassin, into my home?" Kaede asked moving into the living room.

Kagome heard Inuyasha's sharp intake of breath before turning to see the shock registered on his face.

"How do you know me, woman?" he ground out.

"I know ye not. It was your father I knew," Kaede began. "Would you two like some tea?"

"Keh," Inuyasha responded for both of them and watched the old woman's every move as she walked to the kitchen to prepare the tea.

"What is your name?" Kaede asked raising her good eye to pierce Inuyasha with a steady look.

He began to growl lowly until Kagome nudged him slightly. "Inuyasha," he finally gave.

"Well, Inuyasha. You look a great deal like the Inu no Taisho, except for those ears," she said amusedly.

"How do you know my old man?" Inuyasha asked barely keeping his temper in check.

The older woman poured hot water into the teapot and smiled affectionately at Kagome as she came forward to help her. Moving into a small dining room Kaede made a great effort to kneel in front of a small table.

"Come sit down children," she said quietly. When they did so she continued, "The Inu no Taisho granted me spiritual immunity long ago."

"Spiritual immunity?" Kagome asked.

"Am I correct in assuming ye know the mission of the shikaku?" Kaede asked Kagome.

"Inuyasha explained the reasons for the assassins, yes," she answered honestly.

"Then ye know for the prophecy to be fulfilled a miko must be used?" the two nodded at her question.

Kaede sighed and chose her words carefully, "When I was very young, much younger than both of ye are now I was told I had been chosen to train as a priestess along with my elder sister, Kikyou."

"Like I am to be trained," Kagome barely whispered.

"Aye, child. Kikyou was a young woman then, while I was a mere child. We were taken from our family and went to live at a shrine, very much like yon child's," she nodded at Kagome. "We trained every day, meditated every night, and soon learned the ways of the shrine."

"Hurry it up woman," Inuyasha said gruffly.

"Inuyasha! Kaede's trying to help," Kagome chastised him.

Kaede cleared her throat, "As I was saying, Kikyou grew much stronger than I had over time, after all, I was merely a child then. The priest took notice of Kikyou's abilities and asked to speak with her privately one day. When I asked her later she said the priest had asked her to protect something of great value."

"What was it?" Kagome asked her voice filled with wonder.

"The Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls," Kaede answered in almost a whisper.

"What's the Shikon no Tama?" the young miko asked quietly.

"In the same ancient prophecy that Inuyasha and his line has fought against, there is mention of an evil youkai coming to power only through the use of a powerful jewel. This jewel and the Jewel of Four Souls is one in the same. With it, human and youkai alike, would grow to have unimaginable power. It was Kikyou's appointed duty to keep it as pure and as chaste as she could," Kaede explained carefully.

"And?" Inuyasha said impatiently.

Kagome shot him a look as Kaede continued, "Kikyou and I grew in spiritual strength and power together as I grew in body and mind as well. I was not yet Kagome's age when something terrible happened."

"What happened?" Kagome whispered.

"The shrine was attacked by an evil creature. Not yet demon, but no longer a man," Kaede began to explain.

"A dirty hanyou," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, Kagome reached her hand over to cover his own.

"He was no hanyou, Inuyasha, at least not a hanyou created by a youkai-human union. He was a monster," Kaede shuddered, turning her gaze out the window. "A horrible monster that destroyed the shrine in search of the jewel, slaughtered every miko and priest save one, and left that one with this." Kaede pointed to her covered eye.

Kagome covered her mouth in dismay, "Oh, Kaede."

"Everyone in the shrine tried to protect Kikyou who held the jewel in her possession but it was no use, they were all slaughtered in the end. Kikyou hid me on the shrine grounds and returned to the fight. Using every last ounce of her energy she dealt a critical blow to the monster. Before disintegrating he struck my sister in the shoulder. By the time she reached me again she was dying."

Kagome moved from where she was kneeling to kneel next to the old woman, wrapping an arm around her.

"Kikyou only asked of me one thing: to burn the Shikon no Tama along with her body so that it may be destroyed and never used for evil," Kaede finished and slouched a bit, seemingly drained from the tale.

"Kaede I'm so sorry," Kagome said, tears standing out in her eyes.

"You still haven't said how you know my old man!" Inuyasha demanded.

"Inuyasha! Have a little sympathy!" Kagome admonished.

Inuyasha flattened his ears and frowned at her before turning towards the old woman, "I'm sorry you lost your sister, Kaede-baba."

"I met the Inu no Taisho shortly after I set the pyre to burn," Kaede explained. "Yon father had heard about the shrine being destroyed and the rumors of the Shikon being hidden there. He explained who he was and the purpose of the shikaku. I became afraid, thinking he would slay a miko thoughtlessly. It was Kikyou that had saved me in the end."

"Keh," Inuyasha said. "How's that woman?"

"By instructing me to burn the jewel I had taken a part in turning the prophecy around. If there was no jewel, there would be no youkai to rise to power," she explained.

"I see," Kagome agreed. "You had helped the assassins by destroying the jewel. The Inu no Taisho granted you immunity because you had helped them a great deal."

Kaede nodded, "More than my young mind could comprehend at the time. The entire shrine was aflame by the time our own authorities arrived."

"Wait old woman! Are you telling me the prophecy can't happen now because you destroyed the jewel? I have miko blood on my hands because of this fucking thing!" Inuyasha bellowed rising from the floor.

"Inuyasha," Kagome uttered softly.

"Nay, Inuyasha," Kaede held up her hands towards him. "Can ye not feel it? Do ye really not know?"

"Know what, baba?" Inuyasha growled.

"When I set the jewel aflame it was not destroyed. Like a phoenix it rose from the ashes," Kaede smiled gently.

"What are you yammering on about?" Inuyasha scowled at her.

"The jewel, Inuyasha. It has been reborn," Kaede explained slowly.

"Oh great! Just fucking great! Now you're gonna tell me I have to find the damn thing!" Inuyasha spat, turning around and heading for the door.

"Nay, Inuyasha. Ye have already found the jewel," Kaede called after him. He whirled around staring at her incredulously. Kagome rose from her place on the floor and shot Kaede a questioning glance as well.

"What do you mean woman?" he asked slowly.

"Can ye not feel it Inuyasha? The jewel. It has been reborn… in Kagome."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! Don't hate me! Sorry it took so long for an update I sort of got writer's block for awhile. I even had like 3 different endings to this chapter. 


	7. Chapter 7

Assassin's Hope

Chapter 7

Kagome could not believe her ears. _The jewel is reborn in me? _she thought.

Even Inuyasha had stopped his tirade on the old woman to raise a questioning eyebrow.

"Kagome has the jewel inside of her?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Of this I am not sure," Kaede said softly.

"But Kaede, you just said," Kagome began. The old woman held a silencing hand up to the young miko.

"Nay child. Ye may in fact _be_ the jewel," she answered quietly. "Like many in this great world ye both have a destiny."

"The old woman's about as cryptic as Myouga-jiji!" Inuyasha scoffed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome admonished. "Kaede? If in this prophecy this demon, or human turned demon rather, needs the jewel to become powerful am I in danger?"

Kaede turned cautious eyes upon Kagome, "Aye child! What ye protect is terribly powerful and unimaginably dangerous! I cannot think of the consequences that could befall ye both should the prophecy come to pass."

"Oi! Kaede-baba! Why train Kagome as a miko if you knew the assassins would seek her out one day?" Inuyasha ground out.

"When your grandfather brought ye here I knew right away how special ye were, Kagome," Kaede smiled warmly. Kagome flushed out of embarrassment and smiled back. Kaede continued, "It was only after deep meditation that I recognized yon aura to protect the power of the jewel. I had hoped that by training Kagome, her miko powers would grow and the jewel's power would never be used for evil. It would remain dormant as long as it remained pure."

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged the slightest of glances before Inuyasha cleared his throat, "Old woman, if Kagome ever decided not to be a miko is there another way to protect the power of the jewel?"

Kagome held Kaede with a hopeful gaze, "I cannot think of another way to keep the jewel dormant. Without her miko aura Kagome will need powerful protection. Without proper meditation and purification the jewel will become tainted, drawing everything sinister forth searching for it's power. Being a miko alone allows Kagome to keep her heart and the jewel chaste."

"Chaste," Inuyasha repeated quietly, tasting the word in his mouth. He found the taste rather bitter.

Kagome put a hand to her forehead. She could feel a slight ache work its way behind her eyes, threatening to break free in a full-blown pounding. "Kaede, if you don't mind I'd like Inuyasha to take me home. It's a lot to process right now."

"Aye child, ye must rest for now. Meditation may help ye relax in awhile," Kaede offered rising to see her guests to the door. When they reached the door she stopped them, "I must ask ye both to be cautious in the city. There are very few people that know hanyous and demons exist in this world," she said looking pointedly at Inuyasha, "Ye must be careful about who ye trust with your identity child."

"Keh," Inuyasha replied.

Kaede took Kagome's hand gently, "Young Kagome, take to heart what I told ye today. It is no chance ye have met the son of the Inu no Taisho. The world can expect great things from ye both."

She touched Kagome's brow gently, "Aye, go and rest child."

Kagome smiled and hugged Kaede gently before turning to Inuyasha who had opened the door and was crouching slightly in front of her. She climbed gently onto his back and rested her head against his shoulder in hopes that her headache would cease a bit.

Inuyasha took off for the shrine at top speed, his mind whirling with thoughts as the world passed by. He heard Kagome sigh gently and his ears swiveled backward to listen for any sign of her discomfort.

_Would I be enough protection for Kagome if she chose to become my mate?_ he mentally questioned himself.

Inuyasha landed softly on Kagome's window frame a short time later and he stepped inside her room, crouching down to let Kagome free from his back. When he stood straight he was surprised to feel her still pressed against him, her small hands gently clutching his shoulders, her cheek firmly pressed between his shoulder blades.

"Kagome?" he called softly, turning his head slightly to peer at her out of the corner of his eye.

"How can I choose Inuyasha?" she questioned, her voice strained with emotional pain.

Inuyasha hung his head slightly, ears drooping forward, "I will not ask you to choose, Kagome. It will be the jewel. I will find another way to protect you from Sesshoumaru so that you can keep the jewel untainted."

He smelled her tears before he had heard her tiny sob, "I never asked for the jewel! I can't protect it alone. Please Inuyasha."

"You heard the old woman. The jewel must remain pure, _chaste_," Inuyasha said lowly. "You will protect the power of the jewel, and I will protect you!" He turned around and encircled her in his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes a bit swollen from her tears and her nose flushed red.

"If I chose to become your mate and not remain a miko you could protect me," she offered hopefully.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath, drawing her scent in to calm his soul, his voice came harsh, almost in a growl, "I don't know that I would be enough to protect you against what is out there, Kagome."

"But," she tried.

"No! Stupid woman! How can you not understand? I'm a weak hanyou! I could lose you! How could I live knowing I was the cause of your death? You will remain chaste and protect the jewel and I will protect you from the fate of the others!" he yelled at her pushing her away from him. She stumbled back and fell heavily upon her bed. They heard the footsteps too late as the door to her bedroom flew open and her mother appeared in the doorway.

"Kagome! I heard yelling… KAMI! WHO ARE YOU? GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" Kagome's mother screamed at the supposed intruder. Inuyasha backed away from the screaming woman, looking from her to her daughter. Kagome's mother only saw that her daughter had been crying and this strange man dressed in a strange outfit had been the cause.

"HELP! POLICE! HELP!" her mom continued to yell as she moved in front of Kagome trying to protect her.

"Mama stop! Please! Listen!" Kagome tried, extending her hands around her mother to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha continued to back away from the hysterical woman, one arm raised to ward off hits from her flailing arms, his ears flattened against his head to muffle the noise.

Kagome grabbed her mother's shoulders, shaking her she cried, "Mama! Please stop! I LOVE HIM!"

Her mother stopped yelling and turned a stunned face to her daughter, "Kagome? Who is this?"

Inuyasha had also stopped in his actions to stare at Kagome, _Did she just say…_

"Mama," Kagome said moving around her mother to stand at Inuyasha's side, "Please don't be afraid. He won't hurt us. This is Inuyasha."

"Who?" her mother asked still in shock.

"Mama, I think we need to talk," Kagome sighed.

Her mother merely nodded at her and Kagome moved to take her hand to lead her downstairs to the kitchen. Kagome nodded for Inuyasha to follow them. When the three reached the kitchen Kagome had her mother sit down at the table and motioned for Inuyasha to stand beside her.

Kagome took a deep breath and released it before she plunged into her tale, "Mama, as you know Grandpa has been training me as shrine priestess and even sent me to his friend Kaede to train." Her mother nodded in understanding glancing from Kagome to the strangely dressed young man in front of her. Kagome took that as her sign to continue, "It turns out that I'm a special priestess. I don't want to confuse you with details right now but it is my job as this special priestess to protect something of great power."

Her mother nodded again numbly and asked softly, "What do you protect?"

"A jewel," Kagome answered. "This is going to sound a bit crazy but centuries ago a prophecy had been written about the fall of demons across this land. An evil demon could come to power using a miko, a powerful priestess, to destroy all demons."

"Kagome, demons aren't real honey," her mother said quietly.

"Oh no?" Inuyasha spoke. "And what am I? A figment of your imagination?" To add emphasis Inuyasha flexed his ears for the woman.

"Oh my!" her mother exclaimed placing a hand to her throat. "They're… adorable! Are you?"

"A demon," Inuyasha grumbled.

"May I?" Kagome's mother asked, staring wide-eyed at the top of his head. Inuyasha growled slightly but nodded once and knelt down on one knee in front of her mother. She reached out a tentative hand and gently stroked one of his ears, gasping softly when it flicked in reflex to her touch. "Who are you?"

"Inuyasha, son of the Inu no Taisho. I protect Kagome," he answered her, surprised that he had so willingly relinquished that information. He stood up when she withdrew her hand to look at him.

"Inuyasha protects more than just me, Mama. He saved Grandpa a few nights ago from being hit by a car. I didn't tell anyone but Grandpa had gone wandering after his sake the other night," Kagome looked down at her feet after her mother turned a shocked face towards her.

"It seems I owe you my thanks, Inuyasha," her mother replied slowly. "And an apology for screaming like that. It's just not everyday I walk into my daughter's room to find a strange man yelling at her!"

Inuyasha flattened his ears at her admonishment, "Sorry, Higurashi-sama." Kagome looked surprised at his apology to her mother.

Recovering a bit Kagome sat down at the table and continued, "Mama, there's more." For the better part of an hour Kagome tried her best to relate her part in the prophecy, who and what Inuyasha was, and how they had come to protect the jewel. Her mother had frowned through parts, especially when learning about Inuyasha's occupation, and had a hard time comprehending the existence of demons.

"Higurashi-sama, there's one other thing," Inuyasha added when Kagome had finished. He had long ago taken a seat next to Kagome at the table. "I have asked Kagome to become my mate."

"Mate?" Mrs. Higurashi questioned.

Inuyasha frowned, "The human equivalency to marriage."

"But she's only fifteen!" her mother gasped out. "And you can't be much older! How could you provide for her? What could you offer her?"

"As son of the Inu no Taisho I can offer her everything I have. There is a manor not far from here, secluded in a forest. There are servants that can provide her with anything she should ever need. I can protect her," Inuyasha said solemnly keeping his gaze on her mother. His mind barely registering what Sesshoumaru would think of Kagome living at the manor. The idea just felt right to him, having her in his home.

"And Kagome? What of your education? You must finish school! What about college?" her mother asked.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, not knowing how she should answer the question. Inuyasha smirked at her slightly before answering for her, "Kagome will attend the university."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said smiling up at him.

Her mother saw a look pass between the two young ones before her, "Kagome? Do you want to be Inuyasha's intended?"

Kagome looked over at her mother, her face open and honest, "Inuyasha has agreed to give me time to decide for myself, to understand fully the gravity of my decision. But I know in my heart that I will choose to be with him, Mama." Kagome turned from her mother and smiled gently at Inuyasha, said hanyou stared unbelievingly at her. He could feel the warmth radiating through her gaze, "I can't explain it Mama. It just feels right."

Kagome's mother remained silent as she watched the hanyou reach a clawed hand out to touch her daughter's face gently. Her brow creased at the young lovers before rising from her seat gaining their attention, "It seems neither of you would be swayed even if I were to try to convince you. I must tell you I'm not particularly pleased with this. I don't even know this… this young, well, Inuyasha! And simply handing my daughter over to a demon! What would your father think Kagome?"

Kagome turned a shocked face to her mother, "My father would think to tell me to follow my own heart, Mama! He would know that I would never do something unless I felt strongly about it. I know some of this sounds crazy, I know _I _sound crazy, but there's something greater here. It's greater than either you or I, Mama, and I'm part of it along with Inuyasha. And I don't think I would change that."

Her mother sighed loudly, "In that case, it seems Inuyasha that you will be staying for dinner this evening. After all, I must get to know the man that has changed my daughter's life so dramatically."

"Then you will permit me to be with Kagome?" Inuyasha asked expecting her denial.

"When the time comes, if Kagome chooses to do so, then I will permit her to do what her heart believes is right. Even if I do not understand it," she answered moving towards the stove to prepare dinner.

Kagome stood to help her mother, "Thank you, Mama."

"Thank you, Higurashi-sama," Inuyasha said, rising from the table as well.

"Just don't tell me Souta has a girlfriend! I couldn't handle it if both of my children were growing up so quickly!" her mother sighed heavily.

Kagome giggled and helped her mother prepare the meal, smiling the entire time and glancing happily at her hanyou.

"Oh and Kagome?" her mother added.

"Mmm?"

"Leave your Grandpa to me," her mother said winking at Kagome.

_Oh no! Grandpa!_ Kagome thought her mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise.

"May I join you?" called a small voice from the entryway of the vast library.

The taiyoukai turned from the window to assess the young woman peeking through the doorway. He made the slightest of nods before she entered, her arms laden with heavy textbooks, and moved towards the crackling fireplace on the far left wall.

"I have a research paper due next week and I was hoping to get an early start on it. It seemed such a nice place to study in and well the manor is so big. I can barely find my way to the kitchens and well I was planning to get a snack before settling down to read and I was really…" Rin trailed off as Sesshoumaru turned his back to her once again to stare out the window.

"Kami Rin just stop babbling, he couldn't care less," she mumbled to herself and placing the heel of her palm against her forehead. She set her books down on a table placed between two chairs in front of the fire.

"You are right," he said softly from his place across the library.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin questioned.

"This Sesshoumaru could not care less about what you speak of," he responded coldly causing Rin to flush slightly out of shame and look down at the floor. "And yet, there is something about your voice. I wish for you to continue."

Rin looked up at him, her gaze locking with his cool one from across the room, "I don't understand."

Sesshoumaru moved closer to her taking a seat in one of the worn carpeted chairs facing the fire, "Continue speaking. It is not often that these walls hear the words of another."

"Would you like me to read to you, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin questioned moving towards one of the walls lined with bound books. When he nodded she turned towards the wall, raising a delicate hand to touch each book as she read its spine. Finally, her fingers rested on a volume before she pulled it from the shelf. Settling herself in the chair across from him she opened the book and began reading to the lord of the manor.

After a few moments of listening to the woman's voice, gently inflecting throughout her reading, Sesshoumaru actually looked at her. The fire sent golden tones of light across her skin, her cheeks slightly flushed by the heat in the room. Her eyes sparkled a deep brown as she read, and her lips moved in a graceful dance seemingly tasting every word as though it would be their last.

His mind began processing the words she spoke, soft yet sure, light yet rich. When she paused he spoke, "You are reading poetry. Why?"

The question caught her off guard. Hadn't he been listening?

"Yes, poetry, and I don't know really. It's soothing perhaps. No," she paused staring into the fire. "Because it reminded me of you." He arched a perfect eyebrow at her.

"It's a mystery really. As hard as one may try to understand or to explain a poem it remains elusive to us. An enigma. There are so many emotions inside a poem and yet it could seem completely cold to a reader. But no matter what we believe about poetry it is only the author that will ever know everything about it," she rationalized.

By the time Rin was finished with her defense she found herself slightly breathless, finding it hard to tamp down the emotions raging inside her. By simply looking at her in his stoic way, his silver hair glowing in the firelight, his molten gaze remaining steadfast, he made her heart beat erratically.

Rin refused to allow her emotions to best her and taking a deep breath she tore her gaze from Sesshoumaru and returned her attention to the book. Without waiting for his reply she continued reading aloud to him, the night falling around them. After awhile Rin found she was growing drowsy and was barely able to stifle a yawn.

"You are tired," Sesshoumaru stated rather than asked during one of her jaw-splitting yawns.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," she apologized.

"You will continue tomorrow," he said. Rin somehow knew it was more of a request than a command this time and she nodded before standing to leave.

"Rin?" Sesshoumaru called to her retreating form.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked turning around.

"Goodnight, Rin."

She smiled slightly and moved across the room towards his chair. He remained facing the dying embers of the fire. She leaned down to his ear and whispered, "Goodnight Sesshoumaru-sama."

He turned his head to look at her as she moved to place a kiss on his cheek. His movement caused his lips to brush hers gently in a chaste kiss. Shocked Rin straightened, her eyes wide and round, shining in what little light filled the room. Sesshoumaru could see a slight blush cross her cheeks as a small hand flew to her lips.

As she turned to leave the room Sesshoumaru could see a slight smile curve her full mouth. He had no idea that her expression was mirrored on his own countenance.

"Well, I suppose that went better than I thought it would," Kagome said to Inuyasha as they walked through the garden.

"Yeah," Inuyasha scoffed, "If getting sutras thrown at ya was better than you thought."

"That's just Grandpa's way. I think," Kagome said looking up at the stars and the tiny thumbnail imprint of the moon. "He really does like you, Inuyasha."

"Keh," came the only response.

"And Souta _really_ took to you!" she looked at him hopefully. "He seems to love the idea of having a big brother."

She turned towards him and grinned up at him. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, okay. So the kid likes me. So what?"

"So, I like you, too," she said casting her eyelashes down and stepping closer to him. Inuyasha blushed slightly in the starlight but grinned cockily at her.

"Is that all wench?" he asked huskily. "Before you practically told the world you loved me."

She gasped softly and blushed a deeper shade of red before responding, "I.. uh.. well, I had to get Mama to stop yelling at you somehow."

Inuyasha hooked a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face upward. Her eyes were closed tightly, her inky lashes sweeping her cheeks gently. Inuyasha felt something stir within him as he looked at the young woman before him. A longing he had known only as a young child, a longing once called love, swelled deep inside him and threatened to burst forth.

"Kagome," he barely whispered. She opened her eyes to stare up at him. "I…" words failed him as he looked into her eyes, an ocean of emotion staring back at him.

She saw him struggle for some understanding of what he was feeling, "I know Inuyasha. You don't have to tell me."

"No, Kagome, you don't understand. I'm an assassin…" he struggled again, his face contorting into a look of pain.

"I know what you are Inuyasha. I'm not afraid. Let me be with you," Kagome said fisting her hands into his haori.

"I can't ask you to have this kind of life. I don't know what our life together would be like," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes.

"I do, Inuyasha," she said softly, reaching up to brush his bangs out of his eyes and resting her palm on his cheek. He nuzzled her hand at her touch and looked at her, confusion showing on his face. "We will have each other, and for me that is enough."

His face softened at her words and he leaned down to kiss her gently. He sighed as they parted and he looked at the night sky, "Its late. You should get to bed."

She sighed softly into the night sky before her face brightened.

"Inuyasha?" she asked. "You _will_ still meet my friends tomorrow night right?"

He smirked at her, a fang gleaming in the starlight, "I haven't forgotten. Tomorrow before sunset, Kagome."

She grinned as they headed back to the house. Inuyasha took her hand in his at the doorway and brought it to his lips, "Goodnight, Kagome."

"Goodnight, Inuyasha," she whispered before disappearing behind the door.

The darkness was deep and cold in the cavern. The mass of evil hidden in its depths could feel it seeping through the layers of dormancy.

It was time to rise. He opened his mind's eye to search for what had caused him to stir. So close. He could feel it. It had trapped him in the darkness so long ago and yet it called to him now. He needed it, felt the need pulsing through his veins, arousing his senses painfully.

With great effort he moved forth, out of the darkness. He would return once more and spread evil and pain throughout the world. It was time to take what belonged to him.

"The jewel has been awakened."

Inuyasha watched the sun rise through the eastern windows of his chambers, the sky casting brilliant colors across the gardens of the manor. He knew he had to speak to Sesshoumaru, tell him all about his plans with Kagome. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would not mind her presence considering he now kept that ningen woman around. Inuyasha left the comfort of his chamber to seek out his half-brother.

Inuyasha found Sesshoumaru in the library, from the strength of his scent he could tell the taiyoukai had been there for a while.

"Have you been here all night?" Inuyasha asked scowling at his brother's form near the fire.

"Perhaps," Sesshoumaru said coldly. "What do I owe this inquisition half-breed?"

Inuyasha ignored the jab and held Sesshoumaru's piercing gaze, "I will be taking a mate shortly. She will be staying in the annex with me as well."

"Don't be ridiculous Inuyasha. No demon would take you as mate," Sesshoumaru scoffed turning his gaze back to the dying embers.

"What are you going on about?" Inuyasha spat. "I mean the miko, not some demon."

Sesshoumaru turned to glare at his half-sibling, rising from his chair, "You will not mate the miko, Inuyasha. Disgrace on our family no more."

"But you told me to mate her! The other way to destroy her miko powers!" Inuyasha yelled.

"I said no such thing," Sesshoumaru countered. "I told you to take the miko's innocence. That is all. You will not mate her."

"I can't just take her!" Inuyasha ground out. "I… I care for her!"

"Then your heart is weak Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru stated turning his back and heading towards the window of the library.

"I will take Kagome as my mate and there is nothing you can do about it!" Inuyasha challenged.

"And if this Sesshoumaru took her life?" the taiyoukai asked, no emotion tainting his liquid voice.

Rage surfaced from deep inside Inuyasha, his eyes flashed a deep crimson before returning to molten gold. He took a deep breath before replying, "Then this assassin would not think twice about exterminating the ningen that is housed here."

Inuyasha could not be sure but he thought he felt Sesshoumaru's aura wince, slightly flaring and then retracting to its normal state around the demon.

"Kagome will be my mate, and when she resides in the manor you will not even look at her. I, too, am the son of the Inu no Taisho. My word is law," Inuyasha ground out coldly. He turned his back on Sesshoumaru and stormed from the library.

Sesshoumaru remained in the library for a short time before making his way to the great hall. Lighting some incense around his father's memorial he sighed inaudibly before saying, "It seems your second son has finally learned his place."

Kagome's day at school could not end soon enough! Her friends would not stop asking questions about Inuyasha and even Houjou seemed to ask about him during the lunch hour. Finally, Kagome's school day was over and she rushed away from her classmates, her shrine duties an excuse for escape.

When she arrived home her grandfather had no problem finding things for her to do. It seemed that the storeroom hadn't been organized in a decade and Grandpa needed it cleaned that_ very _day.

Hours later found her shoulder-height deep in cardboard boxes filled with souvenirs, pamphlets, and jars filled with odd "magical" objects Grandpa had saved over the years. Kagome moved another cardboard box aside when she saw something scuttle in the shadows of the storeroom. Screaming bloody murder she backed away from the creepy crawly in the shadows, knocked over a box of strange looking clawed things, and tumbled straight out of the shed.

"You look like you could use some help," a gruff voice said above her. She opened her eyes to locate the voice but the glare from the now setting sun prohibited her from making an identification. She groaned in response and tried to get up. A strong hand grasped her elbow and helped her stand.

Closing her eyes tightly from embarrassment Kagome lowered her head and swiped her hands absently over her priestess hakama. She opened her eyes slightly, still glancing at the lower half of the visitor. All she could see was a nice pair of black loafers and elegant looking black pants. Finally, raising her eyes to look at the visitor she was surprised to see none other than Inuyasha standing in front of her, a black sweater completing his outfit, the silver of his hair a startling contrast.

"Inuyasha! You… where is your haori? And hakama?" Kagome asked, surprise clear on her face.

He smirked slightly before answering, "I can't very well meet your friends wearing assassin's clothes, can I?"

He could see the appreciation on her face, silently thankful to Myouga that he had kept up on the popular dress of the decades and encouraged him to invest in some garments suitable for life in Tokyo. It was a difficult feat getting Inuyasha to leave Tetsusaiga at the manor but after much debate Myouga had convinced him that bringing a katana around Tokyo might worry some mortals, especially public officers.

As if suddenly remembering her own state of dress Kagome's hands flew to her disheveled hair and dust covered face.

"I have to get ready!" she nearly cried and started to throw things back into the storeroom. As she tried to rush past Inuyasha to get to her house he grabbed her elbow again, pulled her flush against him and captured her lips in a heated kiss. When he pulled away he was pleased to see her slightly dazed.

"Inuyasha?" she looked up at him puzzled.

"I promised you a surprise," he said quietly glancing over his shoulder at the fading sun. He pulled Kagome into the storeroom and closed the door behind them. He watched her giggle in the gray light. He felt the change only a few seconds before he heard her gasp and saw her hands fly to her mouth. The small storeroom glowed for a few seconds until his transformation was complete. Inuyasha stood with black hair, human ears instead of his usual triangular appendages, and violet eyes in place of his amber ones.

When Inuyasha opened the storeroom door once again he saw that nightfall had descended on the shrine. He stepped outside and stretched his hand out to Kagome who tentatively took it, one hand still covering her small mouth.

"Inuyasha? You look… ningen," she barely whispered.

"I _am_ human, Kagome," he answered her gently. "At least for tonight. This is my surprise and why I can meet your friends tonight. I will never reveal to them that I am a hanyou and remain protecting the shikaku."

"How?" she asked reaching out as though to touch his now black hair. He took her extended hand and allowed her to touch his hair, even to rub his head where his ears once were.

"The new moon," Inuyasha said quietly. "It allows my ningen blood to rise to the surface, eliminating my demon powers for one night of the month. I am most vulnerable during the new moon, but I'm able to walk freely among humans. Normally I can only come out late at night when people are too drunk or unfortunate to care that I'm a freak."

She frowned slightly, "You are _no_ freak, Inuyasha. You're perfect."

His countenance saddened a bit, "You like my human side better don't you?"

She laughed softly when she saw him pout at the ground, "Without those adorable ears? Never, Inuyasha. I like you as a hanyou. Very much."

He looked up at her to see her blushing at him slightly, "Come on, let's go inside and show Mama, Grandpa, and Souta! They'll have no idea what to do with you!"

He allowed her to drag him into the house and left him briefly in the living room, subject to the family's questions, while she showered and changed for their evening out.

After about a half hour of fielding and avoiding questions from the Higurashi clan, Inuyasha heard Kagome descend the stairs. She had changed into a simple black v-neck shirt and a denim skirt, a bit longer than her uniform. He saw she was still fussing with her hair with one hand and holding a pair of black flip-flops with the other.

"Sorry, I tried to hurry! And my hair's still damp," she explained, frowning a bit at the lock of hair she was having difficulty taming. Inuyasha walked over to her and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, and tucked the unruly hair neatly behind her ear.

"You look beautiful, Kagome," he said softly. She blushed and looked at the floor and when he realized his soft utterance along with the public affectionate gesture he cleared his throat and stepped away from her, dropping her hand.

Stepping around him she waved to her family, calling a goodbye, and walked to the door. "We should probably get going, Inuyasha."

Once out of her family's view, Inuyasha reached for her hand once more, squeezing it slightly. They walked in companionable silence until they reached the shrine steps. Kagome turned to Inuyasha slightly, "Inuyasha, I need to tell you something."

"You're not backing out are ya? I dressed up for this," he complained, his eyebrows knitting together.

She laughed lightly, "No, nothing like that. It's just that my friends don't really know our _situation_. They think you're helping me train at the shrine. You know, to be a priestess and all."

"And?" he questioned.

"And… well… I've already put off a nice boy from school, using my training as an excuse to not see him, and if they see that we're a… a…" she trailed off.

"A couple?" he supplied, liking the tinge of pink her cheeks were gathering.

"Right! A couple, if they see we're a couple then it will look like I lied to Houjou and then turned around to be with you," she finished, still worried slightly about the night.

"Okay, so why don't I?" Inuyasha asked, moving down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

Kagome looked bewildered being dragged behind him, "Why don't you what?"

"Why don't I train ya. Maybe not in miko abilities so much but I can help you defend yourself. That way you didn't lie to this Hobo guy…"

"Houjou," she corrected.

"Yeah, whatever. That way you didn't lie to this _schoolboy_ and I can help protect you," he offered.

Her eyes grew round with surprise right before she smiled and hugged him abruptly, "Thank you."

Inuyasha colored slightly before regaining his gruff attitude, "It's nothin' okay? Besides I gotta find something to keep me busy during the day."

Kagome just smiled at him knowingly before glancing down at their clasped hands, a sad expression crossing her features, "It'll probably be best not to show we're together."

Inuyasha looked at her noticing what her attention was on before scowling, "If that Hobo guy tries to touch you I'll…"

Kagome stopped walking and turned towards him, "Houjou. He's a friend of mine from school that I really want you to get along with tonight. That way when I do let them know we're together they'll be happy for us. Please Inuyasha, try to be nice to him, to all of them. He won't touch me in an inappropriate way, I promise."

Chastised by her words Inuyasha found his feet of great interest finally nodding at her words. He opened his mouth to reply when he heard a young girl calling from across the street to Kagome. Inuyasha immediately dropped Kagome's hand when he saw she recognized the girl, waving back.

"That's Ayume, Inuyasha. Come on I'll introduce you to everyone," Kagome said excitedly practically dragging him by the sleeve across the street.

A few seconds later Inuyasha found himself inside a small ice cream shop packed with teenaged mortals, silently thanking the gods for a human night so his ears wouldn't be hurt by all the noise. As Kagome dragged him towards the back of the shop Inuyasha noticed he was receiving a good portion of attention from the female population, causing him to smirk inwardly.

_If only they knew what the dawn brings,_ he thought before turning his attention back to the young woman before him. He briefly wondered how Kagome could be so accepting of him, how incredibly trusting of someone that's completely changed her life in the last few days. He smiled softly just at the thought of Kagome's acceptance. It was in the middle of this thought that he found himself the center of three young girls' attention.

"Hi, I'm Yuka," said one with cropped black hair, extending her hand. Inuyasha noticed her assessing him from head to toe before turning accusatory eyes on him.

"Inuyasha," he replied stiffly, shaking her hand briefly.

"I'm Eri and this is Ayume," another said pointing to the girl who he had seen on the sidewalk.

"It's my pleasure to meet some of Kagome's classmates," he said giving them a small smile, pleasing just about every girl in the place.

"Ahh, Inuyasha," said a tall boy behind the girls. "My name's Houjou. I'm excited to meet you. Kagome has told us all how you saved Higurashi-sama from being hit by a car! It is truly great meeting you tonight."

Houjou extended his hand and for the briefest of seconds Inuyasha envisioned himself taking the kid's hand and throwing him against the opposite wall instantly winning the praise from the girls for his incredible strength. In reality, Inuyasha shook his hand, of course offering a tight grasp, and nodded his head in greeting.

The five teenagers and one hanyou-cum-human sat down in a large booth, Inuyasha caught between Kagome and Eri and Houjou on the opposite side caught between Ayume and Yuka.

After they ordered, Yuka, as per usual, was first to start the conversation, "So, Inuyasha, how is it that you became Kagome's trainer after miraculously saving her grandfather from near death?"

Inuyasha immediately did not like her tone of questioning and thought quickly on his feet, "Actually, we have a common family acquaintance. Kagome's grandfather has a friend named Kaede who happened to know my father. Kaede's sort of a specialist in shrine priestess training. She was really the one that advised us to start training. She saw something special in Kagome and told me about it."

"Wow, Kagome! I had no idea being a shrine priestess was so involved!" Ayume said amazed.

"Yes," Houjou agreed, "Inuyasha, how do you help Kagome in her training?"

Inuyasha hesitated for a slight second before Kagome chimed in, "Well, Inuyasha took me into the forest the other day to help me find my inner self."

Inuyasha chuckled at her comment before she continued, "And today we went to Kaede's to train. Oh! And even his brother showed up at the shrine the other day to help encourage me."

"Stupid bastard," Inuyasha ground out. Everyone at the table gasped as Kagome jabbed Inuyasha in the ribs with her elbow. "Uh, well, that is… my brother and I don't get along that well. He kind of shows up when he wants to, thinking he knows everything."

"Older siblings do that sometimes. My older brother definitely gave me a whole lecture one time on taking responsibility for my actions. He acted just like my parents and I had to remind him he was only a few years older than me," Eri offered smiling up at Inuyasha.

He was relieved they weren't offended by his comment. Normally not one to care what people think of him, it was difficult for Inuyasha to interact with these humans in hopes they would approve of him.

"How much older than you is your brother?" Eri asked.

Inuyasha had to think about it for a few seconds before he answered, "Well, I'm about 17 now, so that would make him about 5 years older than me. Sometimes it seems like we have centuries between us, though."

The teenagers laughed at his last comment and Inuyasha felt more at ease. _Maybe this won't be that hard,_ he thought. The waitress brought their ice cream a moment later and Inuyasha couldn't remember the last time he had a treat like it. _Probably before Mother died_, he remembered sadly.

"So will you be going to university next year then?" Ayume asked noticing Inuyasha's sad expression.

"I hadn't really thought about it," Inuyasha answered honestly. "I've been home schooled for so many years I'm not sure if I could go to university."

"Wow, home schooled! What's that li…" Ayume was cut short.

"Houjou's going to university. Aren't you Houjou? Yes, of course he is. He even has a scholarship, full term. Tell them about it," Yuka interrupted, grabbing hold of Houjou's arm and wrapping her hands around it.

Houjou blushed slightly at the attention, "Well, yes. I am going to university on a full scholarship. It was lucky really. I wrote an essay on how my family has specialized in unique therapy for years and the committee was extremely interested. I'll be studying physical and alternative therapy."

"That's great Houjou," Kagome said. "It's good that you can do something like that to help people out."

"Thanks Kagome," he smiled back at her. "You know I believe we got in some aromatherapy incense that would help with your meditation. Why don't we walk to my parent's store after school tomorrow and pick some up?"

"Oh, no thank you, Houjou," she declined waving a hand at him. "That won't be necessary. Besides I have to work at the shrine after school."

"It will help with your training," Houjou tried again. "And I can walk you back to the shrine afterwards."

"She said no, pal," Inuyasha spat. "She ain't going anywhere with you."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome whispered harshly.

"I was just trying to offer some help," Houjou sputtered.

"Yeah, no need to be rude," Yuka berated. Leaning her head on Houjou's shoulder for comfort.

Inuyasha looked from Kagome's face, clearly showing her anger to Yuka's spiteful expression, to Houjou's hurt look and down at his lap, "I'm protective of Kagome that's all. She needs to stay safe, that means school, Kaede's, and the shrine."

"Protective? As in she doesn't get to go anywhere besides school and training? That's a little more than protective, that's imprisonment," Yuka accused.

"You protect Kagome?" Houjou questioned.

Inuyasha glared at the teenage boy slightly, "I guess you could say I'm her bodyguard while she's training."

"He's right Houjou," Ayume said quietly. "After all those attacks at different shrines around Tokyo, Kagome should be careful. She just can't go walking around the city like that. It's good that Inuyasha protects her."

"Attacks at shrines?" Kagome asked.

Eri peered around Inuyasha at Kagome with wide eyes, "You mean you haven't heard? Shrine priestesses have been murdered all over the city in the last few months. Slaughtered in the middle of the night, without a thought."

Inuyasha turned emotion filled eyes to Kagome, "I…"

"Oh gods," she whispered a shudder coursing through her body. She turned wild eyes to her friends and glanced frantically around the ice cream shop. "Slaughtered, those girls, just like me… I need to get out."

Before anyone could say anything Kagome had dashed out of the booth and was running for the door.

"Kagome!" they all called from the booth.

"Damnit!" cursed Inuyasha. "I need to stop her. She can't go running off like that."

Inuyasha got up from the booth to chase after her and the girls quickly followed suit. Houjou threw down some money on the table, called an apology to the waitress, and headed out after them.

Inuyasha stopped short when he reached the sidewalk, the girls slamming into each other behind him.

"I don't even know where she could have gone," he growled, silently damning his human side once again.

"Home?" the three girls offered.

"The park," Houjou said from behind pointing a block down the street.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered taking off into a full run after her.

When they reached the edge of the park Inuyasha felt two hands on his arm. Looking down he saw Yuka attached to him.

"It's scary in the park at night. You don't know who you'll run into," she said, her voice quivering.

"Yeah, right," Inuyasha ground out sliding his arm from her grasp. Something didn't feel right to him but he couldn't place his finger on it. "Kagome!"

A scream pierced the night and Inuyasha found himself running towards the source praying to any Kami that would listen that Kagome would be all right. He looked back long enough to shout, "Stay back!" to the others, not waiting to see if they would obey. He sped into a clearing so fast he didn't see the thick miasma hanging in the air, Kagome laying only a few feet ahead of him unconscious.

"Kagome!" he called, gasping in a mouthful of the poison. Inuyasha began coughing reflexively trying desperately to get clean air into his lungs. _Fool! _He thought. _Your human tonight!_

"The jewel," he heard something growl through the cloud of the miasma.

_Kagome!_ Inuyasha silently screamed. _I have to protect her!_

Out from the miasma rose a monster, the kind of which Inuyasha had never seen. An atrocity seemingly made from every beast on earth. Over limbs and tentacles, Inuyasha could see the torso of a man with blood red eyes of a demon in rage. In front of the hybrid demon Inuyasha could see Kagome stirring on the ground.

"Inuyasha," he heard her groan lightly. He watched in horror as the monstrosity moved towards the young girl tentacles outstretched with motive.

"The jewel has been awakened," the demon ground out. "It belongs to me!"

As it moved towards Kagome menacingly, Inuyasha found he was moving as well, despite the effect the poison was having on him.

Different things happened in that one crucial moment. Kagome screamed while throwing her hand in the air protectively, Inuyasha dove in front of her small frame to block the attacking appendage, and the demon cried out in frustrated rage from being denied his target. All while the three were surrounded in a blinding light.

Inuyasha stared at Kagome with a shocked gaze when he realized the light came from her, emanating from the very hand she threw up in the air to protect herself with. Her face held a confused expression as she stared back at Inuyasha much in the same way.

_She's trying to purify it, _he thought. Had it not been for his human night that night she would have purified him as well no doubt.

The creature howled in pained frustration as the tentacle was obliterated in the air from her power. The miasma suddenly seemed to be pulled from the area and rushed towards the demon, consumed him in a cloud, and ascended into the dark night.

"I will have my jewel," they heard from the miasma as it moved away from the park. "I will have the world!"

Inuyasha was able to turn back to Kagome in time to catch her fainting form.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed, picking her up and pulling her protectively towards his chest.

"What was that?" a young female voice said from behind him.

Inuyasha whirled around to see the four teenagers standing in the clearing. They looked confused until they saw Kagome in Inuyasha's arms and then they rushed over.

"Kagome!" Ayume called. "What happened to her? It was all foggy before. It was so thick I felt like I couldn't breath."

"We couldn't even find you until just now," Eri said.

"Was that lightning?" Houjou asked.

"What happened, Inuyasha?" Yuka asked frowning.

"There was a thief," Inuyasha said quietly. "Kagome screamed right before I found her. He saw me and then there was the lightning, must be a storm coming, so he ran."

"Should we call the police?" Ayume questioned worriedly.

"Will Kagome be okay?" Eri wondered.

"I think I should take Kagome someplace safe," Inuyasha said stepping around the small crowd.

"Of course, Inu-kun," Ayume said. "Kagome must be taken care of first. You should take her home."

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" Yuka asked.

"She just fainted Yuka," Eri rationalized.

"Because she was attacked, Eri," Yuka admonished.

"Oh," Eri frowned. "Should we take her to the hospital?"

"Inu… yasha?" Kagome mumbled in his arms. She blinked slowly, wincing in pain before looking questioningly up at him. "What happened?"

"You fainted, Kagome," Inuyasha answered softly.

"Kagome? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Ayume asked.

Before anyone knew it the young miko burst into tears.

"I want to go home," she said burying her face into Inuyasha's chest. "Please take me home, Inuyasha."

With that Inuyasha stepped around the teenagers. They called their goodbyes and well wishes to Kagome. Inuyasha turned slightly to nod his goodnight to them, and started out of the park Kagome still in his arms.

_What the hell was that? _Inuyasha wondered. _It looked like a demon, but it had so many parts. _

_He was no hanyou. He was a monster,_ the old miko's words floated back to Inuyasha.

"It couldn't be," he wondered aloud.

Kagome sniffled and looked up at him, "Couldn't be what?"

"Nothing Kagome," he said hardening his features.

"I'm so tired, Inuyasha," she sighed.

"Just rest Kagome," he answered. "We'll figure out what happened later."

She rested her head upon his shoulder and he walked silently the rest of the way to the shrine, relieved that they hadn't run into any authorities on the way wondering why he was carrying a sleeping girl.

When they reached the shrine Inuyasha called Kagome's name softly. She opened her eyes to see that they were in front of the Goshinboku. He slowly placed her on her feet and allowed her to step away from the circle of his arms. She wrapped her arms around herself, immediately missing the comfort he provided.

When she finally turned to him, Inuyasha could see she was struggling to control tears from falling. He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off.

"I don't want to talk about this tonight," she said looking at the ground. "You're going to walk me to the door and we'll say goodnight. Then I'm telling my family I'm going to bed. Wait for me under the tree outside my bedroom window. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"And then what, Kagome?" he asked moving towards her.

"Then will you take me away from here? Anywhere, Inuyasha, please?" she pleaded looking up at him. He encircled her in an embrace, tucking her head underneath his chin.

"I can't let that… _monster_… near my family. Mama… Souta… Grandpa… they'd all be killed if he found me here. He knows what I am, Inuyasha," she sobbed. "He knows what I am!"

"Kagome, I'll protect you," he vowed again. _Can you?_ His mind questioned. _I have to,_ he answered silently. They broke away from each other and glanced at the house. Kagome wiped at her eyes, hoping her mother wouldn't see she was upset once she entered the house. Inuyasha reached down and took Kagome's hand, squeezing it gently, and walked towards the house.

At the steps he bent down quickly and placed a kiss on her soft lips. "Goodnight, Kagome."

"Goodnight, Inuyasha," she said as she stepped into her house. Entering the living room Kagome saw her mother sitting on the couch looking through one of those home improvement magazines, Souta sprawled on the floor, a controller to some video game clutched in his hands, and her grandpa poured over a book in the corner mumbling some incantation or another.

She stepped over to the couch and bent down and kissed her mother on the cheek, throwing her arms around her tightly.

"Oh, Kagome! You scared me, I barely heard you come in," her mother said startled.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I just wanted to say goodnight," she soothed.

"Alright, Kagome. How was your evening with Inuyasha?"

"It was nice, Mama, thanks," Kagome answered with a sad smile. She kneeled on the floor and ruffled Souta's hair.

"Hey! I hate when you do that, Kagome," Souta grumbled.

"Sorry kiddo. Thought I could say goodnight to my kid brother without him spazzing out," she said.

"Yeah, yeah, goodnight," he answered turning his attention back to his game.

Kagome put her arms around his neck and kissed the back of his head lightly.

"Eww gross! Mom! Kagome's trying to make me lose my game by kissing me!" Souta complained. Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled before moving over to her grandpa.

"Goodnight, Grandpa," she said bending down to kiss the top of his head.

"Oh, Kagome, you're back! I found an incantation for a sutra so if that Inuyasha character ever gets out of hand you can put him in line," he said his attention still on the book.

Kagome giggled, "Okay, Grandpa." She moved towards the stairs to her bedroom and turned back towards her family.

"Goodnight everyone," she said finally.

"Goodnight dear," her mother called behind her, waving her hand absently. Kagome walked up the stairs slowly and made her way to her bedroom. Pulling out a yellow backpack she quickly placed a few necessary items and clothing inside. Crossing to her window she passed her desk and reached out to grab a small photo frame with a picture of her family standing in front of the sacred tree. She didn't even stop to leave a note. _The less they know the better,_ she thought. Opening the window she glanced down and spied Inuyasha standing at the base of the tree. Swinging out of the window she took the well-known path down to the ground. Inuyasha took her backpack in one hand, swinging it over his shoulder, and grabbed her hand with his other.

"We'll have to walk to the manor. I'm human tonight," he explained in a whisper staring straight ahead as they walked over the grounds of the shrine.

"That's fine, Inuyasha. I just hope we're safe," she whispered back. Taking one last glance over her shoulder Kagome whispered one word into the night: "Goodbye."


	8. Chapter 8

Assassin's Hope

Disclaimer: All Inuyasha characters and all written persons in the resemblance of Inuyasha characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 8

In a dark alley blood dripped into a dirty puddle of water, as a shadow passed unseen into the darkness.

_So, the jewel has a new miko,_ the demon thought sinisterly. _I must find my own to take it from her. _

Nursing a gaping wound, the demon scowled into the darkness, thinking first of feeding to repair the damage the bitch miko had inflicted.

Laughter echoed out in the alley as the demonic being moved towards new prey. A bloodcurdling scream wrenched through the air. No one would even miss the dead whore lying in the alley, her body wasted away to nothingness as if someone had sucked her very soul away.

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Inuyasha and Kagome had walked in silence for the better part of an hour. Kagome's thoughts wandered over the events of the night. _What had that thing been in the park_, she wondered.

_It mentioned the jewel,_ she thought. _How many others would know about the jewel? _She couldn't imagine if her friends had been there. They could have been hurt! How many would be hurt because of the jewel?

Kagome thought of the beast she saw that night and she stopped walking, "Inuyasha?"

"We're almost there, Kagome. Just a little farther," he reassured her.

"No," she said quietly. He stopped and turned towards her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Will I ever be able to see my family again?" she asked quietly.

Inuyasha stared at the ground, one hand gripping her backpack tightly, the other clenched at his side, "I don't know Kagome."

"Will they be safe?"

"For now," he ground out. "Come on. We're almost there."

As he continued walking he was faintly aware of Kagome sniffling behind him.

"Listen, we'll talk to Kaede-baba in the morning. Maybe she can go place wards around the shrine to keep that thing away," he offered.

"Okay," she relented. He sighed and slowed his pace, reaching back to take her hand in his again.

"They'll be alright, Kagome," he said staring ahead. "Now let me take you to my home."

The rest of the walk to the manor took less than five minutes. Even under the cover of night, Inuyasha knew Sesshoumaru would sense their arrival, so he led Kagome directly to his annex to avoid confrontation that night. Sliding aside the shoji he led Kagome inside and quickly kicked off the restrictive footwear. As Kagome took off her sandals Inuyasha walked across the large room to light the fire.

When the flames burst into life Kagome was able to see the main room to Inuyasha's annex.

"Kami," she whispered. "It's beautiful in here." She walked along the main wall allowing her fingers to feel the intricate carvings inlaid into the wood.

"It tells a story," Inuyasha murmured from behind her.

Kagome stepped back from the wall to see the carvings better and saw that the intricate designs came together to weave a larger portrait. "Tell it to me?" she asked softly. He wrapped his arms gently around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder.

"A long time ago a demon fell in love with a human woman, a hime, who was very beautiful," he explained quietly, pointing out the almost ethereal carving of a young princess.

"The demon, unable to stay away from the woman, came to her in the night, confessed his love, and spirited her away into darkness," he gestured towards a carving of the woman being carried off by what looked like a cloud.

Kagome sighed at the romantic story and nodded for him to continue.

"The demon and the woman bore a son, which gained the wrath and hatred of humans and demons alike. The demon fought in war after war for several years defending the honor of the woman he loved."

"Why didn't the demons and humans just let them be?" she asked softly.

Inuyasha turned his head slightly and kissed her cheek, "Because not everyone is as accepting as you, miko."

"I just think that's wrong," she frowned. "They were in love and had a child."

He sighed, "Things were different back then."

"I'm sorry," she said reaching up to rub one of his ears. Disappointment showed on her face when she realized he was human that night, and settling for grabbing a forelock of his dark hair. "Finish the story?"

"Demons and humans alike bore hatred for the couple and the young son they protected. One night their hatred became too strong and they attacked the hime and the child when the demon was away," he continued.

"How awful," she whispered.

"Her body and spirit, weakened from the attack, refused to leave the earth before seeing the demon one more time," he told her. "When he returned to her she asked him only one thing: to protect their son so that he would grow to know love like theirs."

"Only a mother could ask that," Kagome sighed.

"Finally, Susano-o-no-Mikoto brought an early death to the hime and much sadness to the demon and their son." Inuyasha pointed out a carving of the demon kneeling at the base of a tree praying for his lost love, a small boy stood next to the demon. Kagome could see the intricate details of the carving and noticed two triangular shaped ears on top of the boy's head.

"It's not just a story is it?" she asked, turning in his arms to face him.

"No, it's not just a story," he answered her, sweeping the back of his hand across her cheek.

"He must have loved her so much," she said quietly.

Inuyasha shrugged against her, "I never thought I had anything in common with the old man, until I found my own hime."

Kagome blushed deeply and giggled nervously, "I'm not a princess, Inuyasha."

He let go of her and shrugged as he walked to a shoji dividing the room, "So you say. C'mon I'll show you where you can sleep." He slid the divider aside to show her into the next room.

"I hope you don't mind a futon, I just never got used to the western bedding," he said showing her the master bedroom and setting her pack down next to the futon. "There's a bathhouse attached to the annex as well. I can show you where tomorrow, but for tonight I think you should get some sleep."

He moved to leave, allowing her privacy to change, when she spoke, "Where will you sleep?"

He blushed and hoped the darkened room would hide his embarrassment, "I'll sleep outside."

"I couldn't do that to you," she frowned. "I'm the one who ran away. I wouldn't feel right if I put you out in the cold."

"Then I'll stay in here, I'll just let you have the futon," he agreed. He bent down to retrieve his haori and hakama from a small cubby against the wall and returned to the main room, closing the divider behind him for her privacy.

Kagome knelt down to retrieve a pair of pajamas from her backpack and changed quietly in the darkness. When she reopened the divider she found Inuyasha sitting cross-legged by the open shoji, staring out into the night.

Kagome sat down beside him, "It's so quiet here."

Inuyasha nodded, "It was far enough away from any village to cause a stir when my father built it and we were able to maintain a decent amount of property from the growing city."

"Inuyasha?" she questioned looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Yeah?"

"What was that thing?"

"It was a hanyou," he barely whispered.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing and shook her head in denial.

"It was a monster!" he yelled surprising Kagome. "Just like me!"

"Inuyasha!" she breathed.

When he turned to look at her she reached back her hand, and struck him across the face. He looked at her stunned and put his hand to his cheek where he could already feel a red welt rising.

"Don't you _ever_ let me hear you say that again!" she cried, tears threatening to spill down her face. "You are _not_ a monster. You're… you're…" she trailed off.

"I'm what?" he ground out, suddenly unable to look at her.

"You're amazing," she whispered.

He could barely hear her with his human ears, "What?"

She gave him a shy little smile, "You heard me." She moved closer to him and placed her hand on the cheek she had just struck. "You're strong and brave, you're smart and handsome, and you make me feel..."

"Make you feel what?" he asked quietly.

"That's it," she said. "You make me feel. I don't even think I was alive before I met you. I trust you, Inuyasha. So please trust me when I tell you, you're no monster."

"Then what am I?" he demanded from her angrily.

"You're Inuyasha. Just Inuyasha. Not an assassin. Not a hanyou. Just Inuyasha," she responded quietly.

He couldn't believe the amazing woman sitting in front of him. She saw through everything horrible and terrifying in him.

He gently pressed his lips to hers. Breaking the kiss he touched his forehead to hers, "Kagome, I… thank you."

She smiled up at him before a yawn cut in rudely. He chuckled, "You should rest. We'll go see Kaede-baba first thing in the morning."

He helped her up and shut the shoji to keep out the night chill and nudged Kagome towards the bedroom, readying himself for a night by the fire.

"Inuyasha," she began. "Would you mind sleeping with me?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her and she blushed before sputtering.

"I didn't mean... what I meant was on the futon... I mean... I would feel safer if you slept with me... well not _slept_ with me...," she floundered. He silenced her by taking her hand and leading her to the master bedroom allowing her to lay down on the futon and get comfortable. He took off his fire rat kimono and lay down beside her spreading the fur over them and hooking an arm safely around her waist.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"Don't thank me yet," he sighed. "You just ran away from home, we have that _thing_ after us, and we have to find a way to protect the jewel while destroying the prophecy."

"Don't forget we have your brother to deal with as well," she reminded him. "Only Kami knows what he'll think about me staying here."

"Who the fuck cares what he thinks!" he burst out. "You're going to be my mate, Kagome. Besides, I already let him know what I plan to do and what lengths I would go to protect you."

She smiled at his response in the darkness and linked her fingers through his on her stomach, "Well, I still should thank you."

"Keh."

"You know if you had just given me your kimono in the first place I wouldn't have asked you to sleep with me, this is warm," she joked.

"Oi! I should be able to sleep next to my intended anyway," he complained. She giggled before whispering a soft goodnight. He responded by kissing the top of her head inhaling her soft scent to ease the tension from the night.

The miko and the hanyou, human for that night, found solace in each other's embrace. They knew not what they had escaped just a few hours before, nor did they know the challenges that lay ahead. They only knew the few moments of peace they found that night.

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Kagome awoke the next morning with sunlight shining brilliantly through the divider and cool air against her back despite the fire rat haori that remained draped over her.

"Inuyasha?" she called softly into the room. When there was no response she slipped from the futon, pulling the haori around her, and slid back the divider to find Inuyasha sitting at the open shoji like the night before, his hair once more silver and the familiar ears atop his head.

"You're hanyou again," she stated rather than asked.

He grunted a response but continued to stare out into the heavily wooded surroundings.

Kagome shifted uneasily next to him, sensing something was off. "Are you feeling okay? It doesn't hurt to turn back into hanyou does it?"

He shook his head and turned to her, "Kagome, I've allowed you sanctuary here, breaking a great law of the shikaku. I must make an offering to the shrine in repentance, but you can't stay in the annex alone."

"Why?" she asked innocently.

"Sesshoumaru," was the one word answer. Her mouth formed a small moue and she flipped her hair over her shoulder defiantly.

"He doesn't scare me, Inuyasha," she said with a slight frown.

"And I'd kick his ass if he ever touched you!" he responded heatedly. "But you should probably come with me in case."

She nodded her understanding and stood to go get ready for the day. She paused halfway to the bedroom and turned back, extending the haori out in her hand to him.

"Thank you for staying with me last night," she said blushing to the roots of her hair. "I was a little shaken." _Stop being such a child, Kagome,_ she thought. _You've already been more intimate with him than any other person in the world, and you're embarrassed over sharing a futon!_

Inuyasha took the fur of the fire rat, brushing his fingers against hers, "Keh! It was nothing. I know you need me to protect you all the time anyway."

She frowned and retorted intensely, "I don't always need you, you know!" She went into the other room to collect her things. She popped her head back into the room a few moments later with a sheepish look on her face, "Um, can you show me the bath house?"

With a smirk, Inuyasha signaled for her to follow him.

Once feeling refreshed from a bath, Kagome was ready to head to the shrine with Inuyasha.

"What law did you break by allowing me to stay here?" Kagome asked in the foyer leading to the family shrine.

"An assassin's law. I've offered sanctuary to the enemy. No one will be able to touch you here, allowing the prophecy possible fruition," he explained calmly.

"Oh," she said quietly, looking at the ground. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said turning towards her. "Sesshoumaru has a woman staying here; I can do the same!"

"Another woman is here?" Kagome asked interested. "Can I meet her? Who is she?"

"Let's just try to keep as far away from Sesshoumaru and his woman as possible, shall we?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically.

"Okay," she agreed softly.

Opening the shrine door, Inuyasha came face to face with Sesshoumaru.

"Just what I need first thing in the morning," Inuyasha ground out, hand reaching for the hilt of his katana.

"Pathetic half-breed, as if this Sesshoumaru would be afraid of your Tetsusaiga," Sesshoumaru countered.

"How dare you!" burst out Kagome, surprising the two brothers out of their exchange. "Inuyasha is not a half-breed!"

"Hold your tongue, miko, if you do not wish this Sesshoumaru to cut you down," Sesshoumaru responded with cold calculating eyes.

"You wouldn't even get close enough to lay a finger on her, bastard!" Inuyasha yelled unsheathing Tetsusaiga, the katana automatically transforming in response to the threat against Kagome.

Kagome gasped at the transformed katana, seemingly innocent when strapped to Inuyasha's hip.

Sesshoumaru waved a hand at Inuyasha brandishing the sword, "This Sesshoumaru will not touch your miko, if, that is, you can eliminate her spiritual powers as was discussed."

Inuyasha scowled at the daiyoukai but sheathed the sword, "That ain't any of your business!"

Sesshoumaru made a sound in the back of his throat and swept past Inuyasha and Kagome without a word, continuing back to the library.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her roughly into the shrine, "Kami, I hate that bastard!"

"I can't believe he called you a half-breed! Who does he think he is, anyway?" Kagome demanded.

Inuyasha chuckled, "Gotta admit, you've got guts, Kagome. Yelling at Sesshoumaru like that. Either that or you're stupid."

She glared at him for a few seconds before realizing that he had somewhat complimented her on her audacity.

Inuyasha led Kagome over to the statue of his father, "That's the old man." Kagome bowed properly and lit some incense before offering a prayer to Kami in honor of the Inu-no-Taisho.

When Inuyasha was finished paying respects and offering up a prayer he led Kagome back to his annex.

"I think we should go see Kaede-baba about last night," Inuyasha said solemnly.

She nodded her agreement, "I hope she'll be able to place sutras around the shrine for protection."

"If anything could scare monsters away it'd be that old woman," Inuyasha joked.

"Not funny," Kagome berated.

They decided to travel safely above the city to Kaede's as they had done before, avoiding public spaces in the city. Looking down on the busy city, heaviness began to weigh down upon the pair. Kagome nestled against his back with a frown marring her porcelain features, while Inuyasha kept biting back growls of frustration. Doubt about facing this enemy worked its way into their thoughts and before they knew it they had reached the city limit where Kaede lived.

Kagome knocked politely on the door before Inuyasha burst in rudely, "Kaede-baba! We need to talk!"

Kaede came in from the kitchen with some tea, "Were ye seen, children?"

The two shook their heads and moved to sit down at the table for tea, watching as Kaede moved around her home shutting the curtains and windows once more.

"Now, what did you…" Kaede began, but Inuyasha interrupted her before she had a chance to finish.

"Kagome was attacked last night," he spat out.

Kaede turned a shocked face to Kagome, "Are ye alright? What happened?"

Kagome and Inuyasha recounted the attack in the park the night before, describing the monster they had seen and the pink light from the miko that had attempted to purify it.

"Hmm," Kaede said thoughtfully. "I fear that my demon and your demon are one in the same. It appears he was not completely destroyed those many years ago. The jewel, it seems, has been reawakened and Kagome was able to call forth its power to protect her."

"Damnit!" Inuyasha swore. "It was after the damn jewel!"

"The jewel has not remained dormant," Kaede pointed out. "Young Kagome will have to work twice as hard to keep the jewel pure and untainted so as not to be used by this demon."

Kagome was confused and frustrated. She had to keep the jewel, whatever it was, pure and untainted so its power could not be abused by the demon monster. But in order to keep from destroying all demons, including Inuyasha, she had to relinquish her purity, and ultimately her ability to wield the jewel in a pure manner.

_There's no perfect answer here,_ she thought. _Either way people are going to be hurt._

"What can we do?" Kagome asked.

"I fear I know not except to stand and fight together," Kaede offered. "Kagome will need all the training and preparation we can offer her." Kaede looked pointedly at Inuyasha.

"So continue your training miko," Inuyasha said coldly. "I will return for you in a few hours."

"Where will you go?" Kagome asked his form already walking towards the door.

"Anywhere," he said gruffly before stepping out of the house and leaping into the sky above the city. Kagome sighed and turned towards Kaede who smiled a knowing smile and gestured for the young miko to return to her tea.

"I've left the shrine, Kaede. My family doesn't know where I am and I can't risk them being hurt by this monster. One signal of danger and I run away," she whimpered miserably.

"There, there child," Kaede patted her hand. "You are protecting your family from a terrible evil. Sometimes being brave means to run. You are running to face a terrible hardship another day instead of giving up."

"I can't do this," Kagome began panicking. "I can't choose. I thought I could but I can't."

"Choose what, child?" the old miko asked.

"How do I choose between keeping the jewel pure and ending this awful prophecy?" she asked, tears visible in her eyes.

"There is no choice to be made, Kagome," Kaede explained.

"But I have to keep the jewel chaste! You said so," Kagome nearly yelled. "And the only way to keep the prophecy from coming to pass is to kill me or take my miko powers."

"Ah," Kaede acknowledged smiling. "And how will your miko powers be taken away?"

Kagome blushed deeply and lowered her eyes to her hands in her lap, "My innocence must be taken."

Kagome was startled by the old woman's laughter.

"Ahead you see two paths, but there is only one to journey," Kaede stated.

"I don't understand," Kagome breathed.

"I believe you will understand soon enough, young one," the old woman offered. "Understand that your spiritual gift is just that: spiritual. It cannot be altered through physical means."

Kagome frowned, thinking about it.

"Come, let us meditate before the hanyou returns," Kaede said reaching to take Kagome's hands.

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After about two hours of meditation, Kaede noticed a pink glow emanating from Kagome's body outward in a circle. Once Kaede mentioned it and startled the young miko out of her ritual, the pink orb dissipated. After some encouragement for further meditation, Kagome was able to build the orb around her again by focusing her whole spirit and mind on utilizing the jewel for protection. The miko found that this new ability took a great deal of energy.

"I'm exhausted, Kaede," Kagome complained. "I feel like I've been swimming for hours… only the pool is my mind."

"With continued training you will be able to produce a barrier from the jewel with no hesitation and very little energy," the old miko said while pouring a glass of water for Kagome.

"I just wish we didn't have to stay cooped up in here," she said sadly. "It is a beautiful day out."

"Well, now. I didn't say we couldn't do some training outside," Kaede started. "Kagome, have ye ever thought of taking up archery?"

The old woman quirked the eyebrow above her good eye in amusement at Kagome's doubtful expression before gesturing her to follow out the back door.

A great deal of time was spent showing Kagome the technical parts of archery, teaching her correct stance, grip, and aiming. _If only her execution of these skills could be correct,_ Kaede thought.

Finally, Kagome was able to knock an arrow, aim, and fire… well sort of. The arrow shot out about two feet and then landed in the grass, about twenty feet from the target.

"I'll never get this, Kaede," Kagome groaned. "What good is this anyway?"

"For protection of course!" the old miko exclaimed.

"I'm supposed to protect myself with an arrow?" she doubted.

"By focusing your spiritual power into an object of protection ye increase its fatality ten fold," Kaede explained.

"Uh huh," Kagome nodded. "What about modern weapons? There has to be something more powerful than a bow and arrow?"

"Hundreds of things," Kaede agreed. "But a modern weapon will not protect ye the way ye need to be protected. You will need a weapon that you can control the medium as well as the tool. With modern weapons, the tool does a great deal of the controlling. No, I'm afraid you will be much better equipped with arrows. You will learn how to control the arrow as well as your spiritual ability."

After some additional practice, and only after Kagome landed an arrow in a target, did they return to the house to escape the warmth of the day.

"Ye've done well, Kagome," Kaede encouraged.

They had barely sat down for a rest when Inuyasha knocked and came into Kaede's home.

"Doesn't look like you're training," he grumbled. Kaede and Kagome exchanged irritated looks. "Well, c'mon miko. I'm here to collect ya."

Kagome frowned at Inuyasha's behavior but stood to leave anyway, "Thank you, Kaede. Do you think you could go see Grandpa?" She hesitated. "Please don't tell him you've seen me. They're safer not knowing, but could you just make sure my family is alright?"

"Aye, child," the old woman smiled to reassure the clearly distressed miko. "I will make sure the Kami look after your family well. In the meantime, work on your meditation skills and I will see you in two days."

Kaede opened the door as Inuyasha bent down to retrieve Kagome. The two leapt into the air and raced back to the manor, unseen by humans below.

Kagome enjoyed the cool breeze in her face by leaning back slightly and allowing her hair to whip around the two.

"Would you stop moving around," Inuyasha ground out. "I can't see anything with your hair in the way."

"What's wrong with you, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked tentatively. "You're being very moody."

"Nothing, just stop moving," Inuyasha snapped back. The truth was, her moving around on his back reminded him how close, yet untouchable, she really was.

Kagome pouted but hung on tightly for the rest of the trip back to the manor and remained silent. She lapsed into thought about her choice between protecting the jewel and protecting Inuyasha.

_If I choose to remain chaste and protect the jewel, then I run the risk of being used as a weapon against Inuyasha and destroying all demons, _she thought.

She shook her head violently to dispel the thought of destroying Inuyasha.

_Who am I kidding?_ She mentally berated herself. _I've already chosen him. I will just have to find a way to defend myself better… maybe even form those barriers to protect the jewel from being used by that monster._

They arrived at the manor and Inuyasha deposited Kagome unceremoniously in front of his annex.

"What is wrong with you?" Kagome urged. "I can't believe you're treating me so coldly after… well, after everything we've been through."

Inuyasha turned away from her, her face too painful to look at, "I have to protect you is all. You'll continue you're training and we'll fight this thing. He's been killed before, he can be killed again. Then after that you go back to your life with your family. You remain pure."

"I can't do that, Inuyasha," she said quietly.

"You have to," he turned towards her. "You have to remain a miko to protect the jewel from that monster. In order to do that, I can't touch you. You remain pure."

"Stop it," she said in a cold fury, startling him. "Stop making the decision for me."

"Kag…" he started before she interrupted him.

"Because I've already made my decision," she said, staring him down.

He waited for her answer, he realized, holding his breath.

"I will protect the jewel," she answered. He closed his eyes against the pain of her words.

_So she's chosen to remain a pure miko,_ he thought.

"And I want you as my mate," she added.

His eyes flew open, "What did you say?"

"Kaede was right," she said more to herself than to him. "Two paths but only one journey." She walked towards him. "I will protect the jewel, somehow, someway. But I can't deny everything that I'm feeling right now. We were meant to meet Inuyasha, and you feel it too!"

He did feel it. Drawn to her like a moth to the flame. But he had doubts as well.

"You can't do both," he tried to reason with her. "If I take your innocence you will lose your miko abilities. The jewel will become tainted and the demon can use it."

She moved towards him, close enough that he could feel her body heat, so warm, so inviting.

"I wish to give you my innocence, Inuyasha," she whispered up at him. "Before the completion of the fortnight."

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A/N: I can only offer an apology for my delay in updating. I started this chapter many many months ago and couldn't find the inspiration for finishing it. Well, I found it. So I hope you enjoy. If not, oh well.


	9. Chapter 9

**Lemon Warning!**

_Previously in Assassin's Hope Chapter 8 _

"_You can't do both," he tried to reason with her. "If I take your innocence you will lose your miko abilities. The jewel will become tainted and the demon can use it."_

_She moved towards him, close enough that he could feel her body heat, so warm, so inviting._

"_I wish to give you my innocence, Inuyasha," she whispered up at him. "Before the completion of the fortnight."_

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**Assassin's Hope Chapter 9**

He broke then, and took her lips in a heated kiss, snaking an arm about her waist and tangling his other hand into her dark tresses. She whimpered into the kiss, surprised by his sudden action.

When he broke the kiss she appeared slightly dazed and a bit flushed.

Golden eyes bore into stormy blue ones. "Are you sure about this Kagome?" he asked softly. "You still know so little about being a miko. What if we're not able to protect the jewel?"

"Only one journey, Inuyasha," she replied. "That's what Kaede said. This is the journey that I must make."

"If it is your choice that I take your innocence, Miko, then come to me as the moon rises this night," Inuyasha said releasing her from his grasp while remaining hold on one of her hands. Turning her hand over, he bent down and placed a kiss upon her palm. "I will wait for you."

Trying to slow her erratic heartbeats, Kagome backed away from the hanyou and headed inside the annex. She longed for a hot bath after training all day with Kaede. She walked the path to the bathhouse Inuyasha had shown her before and was surprised to see light and steam coming from the small building.

Sliding the door open she was surprised to see another young woman relaxing in the depths of the warm bath.

"Oh, gomen nasai, I didn't mean to disturb you," Kagome said while lowering her eyes to the floor. "I can leave you to your privacy."

The young woman sat up in the bath. "No, please stay," she pleaded loudly. "I've hardly seen anyone since I began my stay here. My name's Rin."

Kagome offered a small smile although confusion was clearly writ upon her brow, "I'll stay, but I am surprised to find that you are staying here. I am Kagome and I'm staying in the annex."

"With Inuyasha-sama… uh, Inuyasha?" Rin asked.

"Yes," Kagome replied, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. Rin being only slightly older than Kagome still recognized the blush for what it was. Rin returned to soaking in the bath while Kagome began her cleansing ritual.

Unable to contain her curiosity Kagome looked at the young woman out of the corner of her eye and asked, "Sesshoumaru-sama allows you to stay here?"

When Rin nodded her head Kagome continued, "Are you a shrine priestess?"

Rin laughed aloud and turned to look at Kagome, "I would never have the discipline. I'm a student at the university studying anthropology. Sesshoumaru-sama saved my life."

Kagome did little to hide her surprise and gave Rin a look letting her know she would have to tell that story. Having finished her ritual she moved to get into the bath, emitting a small noise of discomfort at the temperature.

"I've only met Inuyasha's brother once and he seemed so cold and detached from humans," Kagome said softly not wanting to offend Rin.

"Sesshoumaru-sama does seem stand-offish, but he has shown great kindness towards me. A few days ago I was assaulted in the park when I was walking home from the store by a strange man," Rin's eyes seemed to veil over which made Kagome feel like crying. "He… shot me…" she seemed to say almost as if remembering for the first time.

Kagome gasped and moved a few inches towards Rin, "Are you okay? Should you be bathing by yourself? Maybe I should get help!"

Rin raised her hand to stay Kagome, "I'm fine, really. This is going to sound crazy, but I lost consciousness and when I awoke Sesshoumaru-sama was before me and I was fine. Not a scratch. Kami, it sounds even crazier than when I had been thinking it."

"Believe me, Rin, nothing could sound crazy to me at this point," Kagome said with a slight giggle.

"I'm glad someone else is staying here in the manor. I was beginning to wonder if I would have to spend the rest of my days trying to carry on a conversation with Jaken," Rin laughed.

"Jaken?" Kagome questioned.

"For lack of a better description, Jaken acts as Sesshoumaru-sama's personal demon butler," Rin said through a smile.

"Weren't you afraid to find out that there are demons in the world?" Kagome asked.

"Shocked, yes, afraid, no," Rin answered honestly. "Part of my studies is focused on human evolution. Maybe we've missed something all along and only now do we have the mental capacity for understanding that demons and humans could have evolved from the same genetic line."

Kagome frowned thinking about it and then smiled, liking Rin more and more as they sat talking.

"Why are you staying here, Kagome?" Rin asked innocently.

Kagome, thinking about her family, nearly welled up in tears, "I'm a shrine priestess and Inuyasha is protecting me from something that is far worse out there."

"I've seen the news reports," Rin offered. "Is that what Inuyasha is protecting you against? The shrine murders?"

Kagome averted her eyes, "It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes, Inuyasha is protecting me from their fate." She felt her face grow heated thinking about going to him later. "He has offered to train me in defense as well."

"Do you think you could ask him to teach me some defensive moves?" Rin asked eagerly. "After… well, after coming here… I'd like to know some things on how to defend myself. Sesshoumaru-sama simply thinks he can have someone from the manor escort me everywhere, but how can I continue at the university in such a way?"

"I don't see why Inuyasha would say no," Kagome answered.

"Well, he didn't take too kindly to me when we met the last two times," Rin said regretfully.

"It seems Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have that in common," Kagome said lightheartedly. "I'm sure it's because both could never trust humans before."

"Maybe I should inform them both that humans have evolved as well," Rin joked. Both young women laughed and continued to chat about their lives prior to meeting their demons. It was not until well after dusk that the two realized they had been in the bath far too long.

The two stepped out of the bath and began donning clean yukatas that had been placed by manor servants before Rin had begun her bath.

"I hope we will be able to spend time with one another, Kagome, now that we're both here indefinitely," Rin said hopefully.

"I hope we will, too," Kagome responded. "I haven't even seen the rest of the manor really, so you'll have to show me the rest."

They bid each other goodnight and the two parted, Rin heading back to the main manor, and Kagome heading towards the annex off of the back of the manor. As Kagome passed an open shoji she looked out to the evening sky falling and saw that it would soon be moonrise. Her anticipation spiked and she could feel her heartbeat speed up as she thought of the night to come.

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The demon had been fully rested after feeding, repairing its torn and bleeding limb as it slept.

_Now to find my own miko, to relieve the bitch miko of the jewel,_ it thought darkly.

_I must find a dark miko who will only know hatred and revenge! Only then will the jewel be tainted enough for me to use._

Dark laughter rose from the shadows of the falling night as the demon went in search of his dark miko.

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Inuyasha sat staring at the evening skyline from a tree close to the annex. He began to see stars appear against the growing darkness and kept worrying that he would never see the small barely crescent of a moon begin to rise.

_She won't come to you,_ his mind stated matter-of-factly.

"She might be better off if she doesn't," he answered back softly.

From his viewpoint he could make out the top of the moon peeking over the canopy tops of the forest. Inuyasha stood on the tree limb and waited for it to be completely visible, knowing that it would be visible from the annex as well.

Finally, the moon had completely risen and Inuyasha turned to stare at the shoji leading from his quarters to the yard awaiting Kagome.

Minutes rolled by and still Kagome did not appear.

_Maybe she stayed too long in the bathhouse?_ His heart pleaded.

Despite himself he growled at her noted absence and he turned away from the view of the door.

_Stupid! How could you have thought she would choose to be with you? _

He leapt down from the tree and took a few steps towards the forest ready to sprint when he heard hurried steps from inside his quarters. He turned around to see Kagome rushing out of the shoji in a hurry.

The simple vision of her made his breath hitch in his throat. She remained in the simple white yukata from the bathhouse but she had pulled her hair up, much in the same fashion as her birthday party, complete with the decorative combs nestled into her tresses that she had impetuously spirited into her backpack.

She had not come to him as a priestess, but as his bride.

"Kagome," he whispered into the night.

She could see his eyes glowing in the darkness in an almost feral light, unblinking and wild. His gaze made her body feel overheated.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here right away," she offered. "I couldn't get my hair the way Ayume had it, so I was trying to fix it and then one side kept falling out…" she tried to finish feebly.

He walked slowly, determinedly, towards her and took the final few steps to meet her in a single leap.

"I thought you wouldn't come," he said quietly.

"I told you already I would choose you. I don't care if I am no longer pure, we'll protect the jewel together. I never want to hurt you, Inuyasha," she said softly.

He brushed the back of his fingers across her left cheek and placed his hand at the base of her head. Moving her closer to him he reached down to place a chaste kiss upon her lips. After a few moments she parted her lips and reached her small pink tongue out to run it along his bottom lip.

He deepened the kiss, delving his tongue inside to taste all of her until she made a small mewling sound at the back of her throat. Parting from her, he saw that her eyes were slightly dilated from pleasure. He reached down and picked her up bridal style to bring her into his quarters.

Inuyasha placed her down on her feet in the bedroom next to his futon and slowly removed his fire rat haori, leaving him in his kosode and hakama. He reached for her and pulled her close enjoying her scent, he hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face, but instead of placing a kiss on her lips he placed a kiss upon the base of her neck where her smooth skin met her shoulder. Her sudden intake of breath along with her spiked scent told him that she was aroused by his actions.

He nibbled slightly at her throat, pleased when he felt her heartbeat quicken. Pulling away from her, he reached a hand up to release a comb from her hair, discarded it carefully, and allowed part of her hair to fall over one shoulder.

"You're so beautiful, Kagome," he whispered to her in the darkened room. A shiver of pleasure ran up her spine at his words and she longed to touch him. She reached for the opening of his kosode and pulled gently allowing the fabric some give so that she could run one hand inside 

along his stomach muscles. At her touch, Inuyasha could feel himself harden and a soft groan escaped his parted lips.

Kagome removed the kosode, gently placing it next to the futon and moved forward to place a kiss on the place just above his heart. She trailed kisses up his chest to his neck and mimicked the way he had nibbled at her throat.

They broke apart slightly and Inuyasha knelt on the futon pulling Kagome down with him. As she knelt he reached to undo her yukata and a blush rose from the swell of her breasts to her hairline.

He sensed her embarrassment and kissed her softly to ease her nerves. She responded to the kiss, urging him for more and he deepened the kiss allowing her access to explore him as well. He felt her tentatively reach her tongue out to taste him and she ran her tongue along his lower fangs causing her to gasp. Inuyasha took the opportunity to kiss her thoroughly, drinking in the taste of her.

Breaking the kiss he lowered Kagome back onto the futon, which caused her yukata to fall open exposing her soft curves to him. He moved to lie down next to her, cushioning her head on his left arm. He caressed her face and hair, removed the other comb, and hoped that his actions would soothe her nerves. He continued his caresses down her shoulder and over her breast, softly stroked her erect nipple, which elicited a sharp intake of breath.

Kagome closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again her pupils were dilated slightly with need. She reached up and began to caress Inuyasha as well, starting at his lower back and moving up his taut back muscles and around to his chest.

Inuyasha bent his head to take her nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tiny pearl. Kagome breathed out his name and closed her eyes with the new sensation. Opening her eyes she took the opportunity his bent head posed and began caressing his ears.

At the feel of her hands on his ears, Inuyasha let out a soft growl and allowed a fang to graze her nipple. Heat pooled in her belly and she groaned at the sensations he was creating. Inuyasha ran his claws down from her breast and over the smooth plane of her hip. The feeling would usually cause Kagome to squirm with laughter; however the arousing sensation caused her to gasp with pleasure.

"Inuyasha," she groaned causing him to cease his ministrations and look at her in the darkened room.

Her face was flushed, hair strewn over the futon, eyes shut tightly and she was breathing heavily.

He thought he had never seen anything more beautiful.

He lifted his head to look at her more fully and she opened her eyes and smiled at him. Unknowingly, he smiled back and then bent his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss, causing her to make a pleading sound at the back of her throat.

He moved his clawed hand from her hip towards the juncture between her legs, slipping a finger gently inside her. She placed her hands upon his bare shoulders and dug her nails slightly into him, her body pleading for release.

The familiar ache began to build inside her and she wanted nothing more than for him to release it.

Breaking from his kiss she begged him, "Inuyasha, please…"

"Please, what, Kagome?" he asked huskily looking at her, his smile showing one fang has he continued to finger her.

"Help me…" she whispered to him, eyes closed in sweet torture.

"Say it, Kagome," he answered. "Tell me what you want."

"I want you.." she breathed, "to help me come." She opened her eyes to look at him, a bright blush staining her cheeks. The intensity of his gaze made her forget her embarrassment and nearly took her breath away.

Inuyasha could feel his youki rising, urging to be released upon hearing her request. He slowly removed his finger from her honey-sheath and found the small bundle above her opening. He began caressing it slowly, enjoying the way she bit her lip and threw her head back giving him complete access to taste, nip, and lick that place on her neck that caused her to sigh so.

She felt liquid heat inside of her and the ache intensify slightly; gathering just behind the bundle of nerves Inuyasha was paying adoration to. He ceased nibbling at her throat when he felt the muscles in her body tense. Knowing she was almost at completion, he moved to latch back onto her nipple, sucking slightly.

Kagome cried out and kept whispering, "Almost… almost… almost…"

When Inuyasha once again grazed a fang against her stiffened nipple while sweeping her small bud in circles, Kagome cried out in earnest, wrapping her arms around his head and clutching it to her chest.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's muscles tense for several seconds before relaxing into a languid state. She breathed heavily as her hands absently rubbed at the space behind his ears.

Disengaging his head from her arms, Inuyasha lifted his head to gaze over her. When she looked at him it was with hooded eyes. She reached up a hand, placed it on his cheek and then began 

running it down his throat, over his chest and down his stomach. When she reached the knot of his hakama her face flamed once more before using both hands to undo the tie.

The knot to his hakama undone, Inuyasha stood and removed the last garment, allowing Kagome to see all of him. Slightly embarrassed she almost looked away before remembering that Inuyasha would be hers forever.

She gazed at him unabashedly, drinking the sight of him in. He was lean with well defined muscles beneath surprisingly tanned skin. His manhood stood proud through a spray of curls that were shockingly just as silver as his hair and Kagome fleetingly wondered if it was the same on his human night.

She sat up slightly only to remove her open yukata completely, allowing him an unimpeded view of her as well. She lay back upon the futon and extended her arms to him, inviting him to take her.

He went to her, lying between her slightly parted legs and leaning down to kiss her fully upon the mouth. He explored her mouth thoroughly tasting what could only be described as Kagome.

Breaking the kiss he smoothed her hair with one hand and positioned himself against her wet heat. Not wanting to risk asking her again if this was what she wanted, for fear that she may decide she would rather die by a hanyou than be bedded by one, Inuyasha pushed slowly into her until he came upon her barrier.

Never breaking his gaze from her, Inuyasha rocked slightly back before pushing through her virginal barrier swiftly.

Kagome cried out loudly as she could only see red. Whether it was the flash of red in Inuyasha's eyes or the searing pain she was experiencing she could not tell. She closed her eyes against the pain and was grateful when Inuyasha ceased movement once he was fully inside her.

Inuyasha sensing her distress leaned down to nibble at that sensitive spot on her throat, hoping to relax her. After several minutes of his ministrations he felt her muscles begin to relax.

Kagome could barely believe the sensations he was creating in her body. Every time he licked her throat she felt a fissure of arousal shoot down to her cleft where they were fully joined. She felt that if she could just move slightly that arousal would become sheer pleasure. She began moving her hips back and forth to feel Inuyasha inside of her.

Needing no further encouragement from either Kagome or his raging youki, Inuyasha began to rock in and out of Kagome's tight sheath. Knowing how she had responded earlier he bent his head down and captured her other nipple, not wanting to be inattentive. He heard her breathing become heavier as she made small "oh" sounds at the sensations she was experiencing.

If anyone had been observing the couple they may have noticed that their auras had manifested themselves around the couple as they sought their pleasure. Kagome's white aura licked out to caress Inuyasha's red one, and when Inuyasha's flared, Kagome's welcomed it as she had welcomed her lover into open arms.

Inuyasha's youki called out for him to claim Kagome as his own, to mark her as his mate. He could feel her muscles tightening again to climax and knew he would mark her then, when her mind would be too full of pleasure to know her pain.

He looked at her one last time before marking her and she met his gaze.

"Aisheteru," she whispered softly. She watched as his eyes turned crimson and remained so, yet she was not frightened. He pounded into her and she felt herself begin to climax. As she did so, she felt him quickly sink his fangs into that place at the base of her throat, right above her collarbone. The pain from his fangs and the pleasure from her climax mixed causing Kagome to cry out his name. As she did so, their auras became one, radiating a soft pink around the two lovers.

Inuyasha came quickly after she had called his name in such a breathless manner. Remaining inside of her, he gently placed his weight upon her, his tongue gently laving the area on her throat that he had just marked.

Inuyasha slowly sat up and disengaged from his sweet miko.

_Miko no more,_ he almost lamented silently.

Lying down beside her he pulled her close and reached for his haori to cover them both. He heard her sigh happily and he couldn't help feeling happy himself.

He heard her breathing slow but whispered to her anyway, "Kagome?"

"Mmm?" she responded sleepily.

"Aisheteru," he whispered. She sighed contentedly and unconsciously snuggled deeper into him.

Kagome laid there with a small smile upon her face and her lover in her arms. She was not worried about the jewel or her training. She was not worried about the monster that was surely hunting her down. She was not worried about anything as long as Inuyasha was with her and as long as he loved her as well.

Inuyasha did not think of how he would protect Kagome after this, he did not think of how he would handle his brother. He did not think of the prophecy. For one night, he had something precious in his arms; someone that loved him freely as he had been once so long ago.

They laid there in each other's arms and fell into a peaceful slumber where nothing could touch them. If only they knew how truly untouchable they now really were.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

B.I.G.


End file.
